Alternate Bourbon Arc
by Uncle Sporkums
Summary: ***SPOILER WARNING**** If you aren't familiar with the Bourbon arc, or are unaware of its resolution, please DO NOT read this story if you don't want it spoiled. Due to the disappointment many felt with how the Bourbon arc turned out, I've decided to write how I personally would've liked to see it turn out. Special thanks to Chekhov MacGuffin for the basic idea.
1. Chapter 1

Cold..

Cold..

[The cold, biting wind that matches this sorrowful feeling in my heart..] Jodie Starling, the attractive, yet despondant young American FBI agent pondered as she shuffled at an even pace down the bustling side walk in downtown Beika, Japan. She tried her hardest to hide the tears that were already starting to stream down her face, hoping they would go unnoticed amongst the flakes of snow now beginning to descend from the heavily grey overcast sky. No, drawing attention to herself, especially someone in her position wouldn't do..

She couldn't help it.. That moment in the liquor store.. Andre had meant well, but the mention of Bourbon.. Shu.. Shu's favorite drink..  
[Shu.. Shu.. Why..?] Damn! She couldn't stop them now.. Flowing like rainwater down a curb. Instinctively, she began trotting at a somewhat faster pace to avoid attracting any concerned looks.. She hugged her wool coat closer to her body, but now, those painful emotions were starting bite at her skin harsher than any wind chill..

[I just have to help Reggie out.. Then, I've got to ask James to let me go back home too.. Too.. Too many memories here..] She began to think, motivating herself. Hoping that thought might take her mind off things.. No.. Reggie only made her think of work.. Work only made her think of Shu.. The tears continued as she gritted her teeth.

As she approached his apartment block, Jodie tried her to wipe away her tears and compose herself as she tried to evaluate the task at hand.

Reggie Caufield was a fortysomething fellow agent who played an integral part in surviellance during the Kir debacle at the Haido City Hospital. Despite the crows feet at the corner of his eyes, and around his face, his healthy, smooth tan skin and wavy, light blonde hair more than made up for it.

About a week ago, Reggie's wife, nine months pregnant had phoned him from the States, letting him know that, she had just had given birth to a healthy baby boy, and asked to fly home as soon as possible to see him for the first time. After expressing regrets that he could not have seen the event personally, he got the go-ahead from Quantico, and had made plans to head back home. It was Jodie's responsibility to drive his rental car to and from the airport.

[Children.. Family...] The thought left Jodie's mind almost as soon as it had entered, lest she begin to tear up again..

She turned the corner, and there was the building, a modest, two story low rent affair. Rust around the handrail going to the upper level. Faded, chipped brick exterior, ect. Reggie's white Honda Accord sat in its usual spot, awaiting its driver.

Jodie walked up to the pastel green door on the ground level, sloppily repainted with very obvious brush strokes, and gave a couple of quick raps upon it with her knuckles. A moment or two.. Silence.

[Probably caught him sleeping.. Honestly..] Jodie muttered in her thoughts. She proceeded to knock a little harder "Come on, Reggie! That plane's not going to wait forever!"

Nothing. No thuds of him getting out of bed, sleepy moans, no "Coming! Hold on a second!" Not a peep.

Now, Jodie's natural "possible danger" detector began to kick in. This wasn't like Reggie. In every meeting or summons, he was punctual. Johnny on the friggin' spot. He'd even had to explain the speeding ticket given him by a Japanese officer when he arrived a few minutes later than expected by James for an emergency meeting when it was believed that a seemingly unconcious Kir (now known to be a CIA mole) had opened her mouth half a fraction while laying in her hospital bed.

No, something had gone wrong and it was time to investigate. Jodie quickly went for the spare key Reggie had leant her in case she had needed to get back in his room after he had gone. She very carefully and quietly inserted it in the lock and turned it. [CLICK] Placing her other hand gently on the knob, keeping her other hand near her chest area where her shoulder holster lay, just in case..

With a somewhat noisier than necessary creak on its rusted hinges, the door opened to a dark empty room.. No Reggie, no bags packed on the bed or counter. Nothing! Its as if he hadn't planned to leave at all, or had already vacated the premises!

Jodie was stunned! [No use in trying to hide now, that damn squeaking may as well have said "I'm coming in!"] She thought bitterly as she took two cautious steps forward onto the worn, tattered carpeting. "Reggie?! REG?! You in here?!" She called out.

Nothing. No answer. Save for the bird twittering its head off somewhere outside.

Jodie already knew this wasn't good. Something had happened to Reggie. He wouldn't have just up and left with someone else without letting her know. And besides, the rental car was still parked out front. Assuming he left of his own accord that is..

As much as she wanted to continue investigating, her instincts told her to avoid tampering with the crime scene. She immediately got her cell phone out and selected James' number.

"Yes, Jodie? Everything all set?" The kindly old British voice asked upon answering.

"No, James! Something's very wrong! Reggie's gone! His car is still here, but his apartment's empty! I think something's happened to him!" She replied in an urgent tone.

"Stay put! Camel and I will be right over!" James ordered authoritively.

"Uh.. Ye..Yes, Sir!" Jodie affirmed, just as James hanged up. The young woman then felt a very uneasy sensation in the pit of her stomach, as if a forboding of something terrible that was to follow...

"AH! N-No kidding?!" Ran Mouri asked out loud, an astonished look on her face.

"YES! Yoko told the audience she needed someone to help her sing her next song, and then Yuko Ikezawa suddenly walked out and they performed on stage together!" Her wealthy friend Sonoko Suzuki explained giddily.

"WOW! No way! So do you think the rivalry is over?!" Ran asked, becoming somewhat more eager.

"I don't know, it may be too close to say.." Sonoko began to respond, before prattling on about the politics of music rivalries..

Something that young Conan Edogawa had no interest in, whatsoever. [Heh.. Girls and their passtimes..] He thought with a slightly sour look. Although being shruken down to child size had its advantages.. It did also have a great series of opportunities for tedium as well..

"Conan! Isn't that lovely? Two people who used to be unfriendly towards each other putting their differences aside?" Ran asked him with a gleeful bit of optimism.

"Huh?! Oh, yeah! It's really nice that they seem to be friends, now!" He said, attempting to sound as naive and childlike as possible. Having been this way for several months, he was really starting to get the hang of it. As Ran smiled pleasantly back at him and resumed her discussion with Sonoko, Conan's thoughts drifted back to the tense mood of his previous inner monologue, namely the whole Kir incident.

[Okay, so for now, Hidemi's out of danger. She's back undercover in the Org. and none of the members seem any the wiser.. However, at such a high cost.. Akai.. Plus, that Bourbon agent that she said had been dispatched to look for Shiho.. Still, even supposedly posessing "the mind of a detective", there's no way he would figure out that Ai has shrunk like me, right?] He deeply pondered, before adopting a somewhat confident expression. [Nah, there's no way he would even consider that.. But, when will be the next time I'll hear from THEM again..?]

As if to possibly answer him, a car that Conan could clearly see containing the senior FBI Agent James Black in the driver's seat, came swerving around the corner, towards a residential area. [AH! James! What could he be up to? Better check it out!] He thought with a sense of instinct.

Immediately racing off in his direction, Conan turned back to Ran and called out "Sorry, Ran, I just remembered the Professor wanted me to try out a new game! Excuse me!"

"That kid must really love video games.." Sonoko mumbled with a bemused expression.

"He's acting way too suspicious today.." Ran reflected aloud before beginning to give chase, calling back to her friend, "Sorry, Sonoko, we'll have to go to a movie some other time!"

The young heiress could only stand in the cold climate, stewing with annoyance.. "If that kid were as old as Ran, they'd be made for each other.." She grumbled.

Conan's sneakers rythmically tapped the sidewalk as he bolted off after the direction of James' car. [These little lungs are about to burst! Hopefully, I haven't lost.. AH! There it is!] He thought between gasping pants, before coming across the very welcome sight of his dark green rental car about to pause at a red traffic signal! [Alright!] Conan thought, blessing the convience, as he removed a piece of gum from his jeans pocket, unwrapped it, stuck it in his mouth and began chewing, with time concious intensity. At the same time, unscrewing one of his glasses' ear holders' that contained a tracking device, he then took the wad of gum from his mouth, placed the tracker inside, and quickly slapped the moist, sticky mess onto the vehicle's back bumper just as the signal turned green!

With a smile of achievement, Conan adjusted the tracker's reciever on the side of the spectacles' frame, revealing a transparent radar image on it's right lens! The now tracked vehicle's signal appearing as a blinking light green dot.

[I know Jodie would get in touch with me if there was anything serious occuring, but it's best to just do a little investigating to be sure!] He thought somewhat arrogantly as he began to follow once again, at a less intense rate of speed.

Conan followed the car's signal. It took a couple more right hand turns, before coming to a rest, Conan closing in closer and closer.

[Ah! Here we go! It must've parked! Good thing too, my legs were killing me!] He concluded gratefully.

Conan came upon the car situated in the parking lot of the apartment, James and Andre had already exited and were already beginning to advance towards Jodie in the parking lot, where she was already conversing with officer Takagi and Sato. A number of other people had also started to group around. [Jodie! Sato and Takagi are there too! Just as I thought, something's up!] Conan thought in a concerned manner, before concealing himself in a small bush on the property and listened in.

"And you said there was no sign of his clothes, bags packed or any indication inside the apartment, yet there was no chance he would leave his car at the building and go with someone else?" Sato asked firm and business-like, whilst Takagi scribbled down information on his notepad.

"Yes! I was supposed to be the one to drive him to the airport, and he wouldn't have taken a ride from someone else on such short notice! Nor would he have left his car here! That's why I'm certain that something's happened to him!" Jodie explained, Starting to lose control.

Sato, her face still firm and serious, placed her hand reassuringly on Jodie's shoulder. "Please, calm yourself, Miss Starling. We shall get to the bottom of this as soon as we can, don't be upset." She instructed in a calm, measured voice.

"I can vouch for her, Detective." James announced as he approached.

"You knew of this occurance, Sir?" Sato turned, asking him.

"Yes, all of us in this small group, have." James replied in a controlled and concealed manner.

"I see.." Sato replied, catching the hint. She then turned to Jodie and said in a quiet way, mindful of the crowd. "If indeed your friend in the FBI was involved in the Haido City Hotel case, there is some possibility of some suspicious activity.."

Jodie's eyes went cold, as if in shock. "No.. N-No.. I.."

Now, Sato's emotional armor had suffered a massive amount of damage, she placed her free hand on Jodie's other shoulder, looking at her in a sympathetic manner. "Please, Jodie! Don't despair, we'll find out who's responsible for this, and we'll try our hardest to bring Reggie back safe, we promise you!"

Conan, hiding behind the bush, now had a look of righteous anger upon his face, gritting his teeth as he thought [It's THEM! It's got to be! There's too much of a coincidence! They've got to be targeting FBI Agents after what happened! I knew I had a reason to follow James! The motive must be related to Kir, but the question remains.. Their Goal..]

Conan's thoughts, however, were suddenly interrupted by the sensation of a powerful hand grabbing the collar of his winter coat and yanking him off the ground! [AH! They.. They've FOUND ME!] He thought with a petrified expression..

Then, the sound of a very familiar girl's voice..

"CONAN! What did you think you were DOING, racing off like THAT?!"

Conan turned his head with a nervous smile, and sure enough, Ran stood there, holding him up, a perturbed look in her eyes.

"The last time I checked, Professor Agasa doesn't live HERE! Do you understand how frightened I was? I had to keep flagging down cars asking if they'd seen you! Don't you EVER do that again!" The young lady said with a combination of anger and concern, before hugging him tight. Conan's adult sensibilities couldn't resist the arousal of her bosoms pressed against his chest as he blushed.

Ran then glanced up with a start, a look of surprise and recognition on her face. "Ah! Miss Jodie! Detective Sato, Takagi! What's going on here?!"

"ULP!" Conan gulped with the sudden realization of his actions. [Oh, no! What have I gotten Ran into?!]

Sato walked up to Ran with a look of apprehension "Well, Ran, one of Jodie's foreigner friends here in Japan seems to have gone missing suspiciously from his apartment room while she was attempting to take him to the airport.." She explained.

"Huh? Oh, my.. Does that mean..?" Ran asked with a worrisome shudder.

"We don't know yet.. We're trying to investigate.." Sato replied neutrally.

Takagi then turned to the smatter of residents, asking "Did anyone here happen to see anything suspicious during twilight to early morning?"

Mitsuru Tsukuda, a balding, middle aged man with thick glasses and a very thin, ugly moustache replied somewhat resentfully. "Nope, I was asleep like most decent people.."

"Same here.." Chiyoko Matsuoka, A sad looking middle aged woman with drooping eyes and stringy black hair concurred, before adding "I awoke to go to the bathroom once or twice during the night, but I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary.

The Landlady, Momoko Ito, a rather frumpy, joyless soul with longish, very dry light brown locks that didn't help her appearance, puckered lips that barely concealed her crooked, rotten teeth, gave a short grunt and shrugged her shoulders. "I saw very little of this man.. He was very suspicious and would ALWAYS insist that I come down from my office personally to collect his rent.. He gave me the creeps, quite frankly.." She disclosed rather bluntly.

"If you ask me, these foreign types are all suspicious.." Tsukuda grumbled aloud rather rudely.

"Thank you, Mr. Tsukuda, that's QUITE enough.." Sato said, rasing her voice a tad after noticing Jodie's expression growing more sorrowful.

Two more police cars then entered the parking lot, Chief Inspector Megure and forensics team emerged from the vehicles.

"Well, looks like the investigation can really get underway, now.." Takagi commented, walking over to his superior to give him the skinny.

"Oh, Conan, I hope Miss Jodie's friend is okay.." Ran remarked, adopting a troubled expression.

[I wish I could tell you he was, Ran..] Conan thought somewhat despondantly.

"Alright, boys, check the room out, and be careful.." Megure ordered in a weary way. "The rest of you, check the car out.."

An affirmative nod, and the forensics team entered the empty room, Whilst Sato and Takagi crept cautiously around the stationary Accord.

"Careful, Takagi.. Check for any signs that the door is wired.." Sato quietly instructed her partner.

"Right.. I don't see any signs of tampering.." He affirmed. Cautiously, he used the keys provided by Jodie, tested the handle, and opened it.. Nothing.. He breathed a brief sigh of relief. Sticking his upper torso in the vehicle, his hands protected by latex gloves, he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Just basic, clean surfaces, rather impressively clean, actually.

Ran, who was doing her best to take in what was happening, walked over to Jodie, standing next to James and Andre in an attempt to help with comforting her.

"Hello, Miss Jodie.." She greeted in a reserved fashion.

"Oh! Uh.. Ran, Conan! Hello! It.. It's good to see you both again.." Jodie answered in a sheepish, quiet way.

Ran's sights then turned to the somewhat imposing figures of James and Andre. "Oh, hello, Sir! I've seen you before in the hospital when you were visiting Jodie!" She said, giving a quick respectful bow.

"Yes, My name is James Black. You must be Miss Ran Mouri. It's a pleasure.." The old man greeted in a sad, yet gentle way.

"So.. I'm guessing that.. You must be her boss in the FBI.." Ran whispered as quietly as she could.

"Yes, that's right." He warmly affirmed.

"And.. And this gentleman here is another.. Agent..?" Ran asked somewhat reluctantly, given Andre's somewhat menacing appearance.

"Why, yes. My name is Andre Camel, Ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you." Camel, aware of her timid reaction to him, as most people were, did his best to act as gracious and polite as possible to put her at ease.

"Oh.. Y-yes, a pleasure.." Ran replied, still somewhat nervously, giving another bow. It was then, upon taking a sideways glance at James' rental car that she noticed something.

"HUH?! Conan!" She exclaimed indignantly.

Conan, who was in the midst of peeling the gum off of the bumper, froze as if he were a statue.

"So THAT'S why you were trailing this man's nice car! I thought you gave up naughty behavior like that!" Ran admonished him, snatching him up by his arm. "I ought to give you a spanking for that!"

"N-No.. Please, Ran, you don't understand!" Conan begged with genuine fear, knowing how hard she could hit when she was angry..

"Oh, please, don't trouble yourself, Miss Mouri! I was the same way at his age!" James explained, walking up to the two with a more pleasant expression.

"Well.. Alright.. But I want you to apologize to Mr. Black and promise to never to that again!" Ran relented, before firmly instructing Conan.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Black. I didn't mean to.." Conan obeyed, putting on his best sheepish little boy voice.

"Oh, no harm done, young man!" James answered in a forgiving, grandfatherly way, before whispering. "I'm certain it was no accident, though.." With a sly smile under his bushy grey moustache and a covert wink.

Ran then turned her attention to Jodie "I honestly hope your friend is okay.. If my friend, Shinichi were here, he'd be able to figure out what happened, immediately.." She began.

[But I am, Ran, and it's about time I did get down to it..] Conan thought with certainty to himself, and with a determined expression, sneaked off towards the room under investigation.

James, noticing this, made a subtle movement to block him from Ran's sight, thinking somewhat cheerfully [Don't disappoint us, Cool Guy..]

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	2. Chapter 2

Stealthily, as quietly as possible.. Conan sneaked into Reggie's room, while the forensics experts backs were turned.. Thanking the plush carpet for cushoning his moves with each step, he tried as much as humanly possible to stay concealed in the shadows, until he could clandestinely conduct his own investigation, and naturally pick up things that were missed..

Thankfully, the expert around the dresser had walked north towards the small kitchen area, and no one was taking notice of Conan's activity. [They'd better be thankful I don't have a gun or anything..] He grimly thought, lecturing their unwatchfulness, as he took out a magnifying glass and closely inspected the locks..

[BINGO! Such an obvious overlook!] He reacted triumphantly, only to feel a gentle hand press down upon his shoulder.. With a start, he looked up.. Right into Sato's warm smile.

"Conan.. What are you doing in here?" She asked tenderly, albeit a bit repremanding.

"I found.." Conan began to eagerly explain, before Sato held up a "quiet" hand.

"Conan.. I really appreciate the big help you are to us.. but there are times when you really need to let us do our job." She continued softly, not losing the smile of an elder sister for a moment. "If you were to accidentally touch or step on something, you might accidentally ruin some important clue. You DO want Miss Jodie to find her friend, don't you?"

Conan didn't even bother to argue, he got right to the evidence. "But why would Mr. Reggie scratch up his own locks?" He asked childishly with a shrug.

"Huh?" Sato asked with a confounded expression.

"There are some funny scratches around the locks on each of his dresser drawers. It's as if he accidentally locked himself out of them and needed to get back in, but wasn't very careful." Conan explained, pointing backwards to the peice of rather unseemly looking furniture.

"Just a minute.." Sato half muttered to Conan, before taking a quick look with her naked eye, then taking out her own magnifying device, and investigating. "AH!" She exclaimed upon closer inspection. "Conan, you were right!" She turned back with an appreciative smile, before sharply ordering the men "BOYS! Over here! THIS little boy just happened to overlook a possibly very vital clue! Namely those scratches upon these dresser locks! Now, I'd like a more DETAILED examination of this furniture before you try something else!"

"Yes, Ma'am." "Sorry, Ma'am.." "Very sorry, Ma'am. Won't happen again.." Was the general concensus of the investigators, before they went back to work.

"And I'm sorry too, Conan." Sato said, turning to him with a grateful grin, giving him a rewarding pat on the arm.

"It's.. It's alright, Detective Sato.." Conan answered with a slight blush, and a nervous smile..

"So, what we can establish so far is that for all we know, Mr. Caufield and his belongings seem to have been abducted, that or fallen off the face of the Earth, whichever's most likely, we shall soon determine.." Megure began explaining to all of the parking lot residents who had gathered inside the small apartment after the forensics men had given it a final going over.

"Oh.. Not again.." Jodie muttered to herself with tears in her eyes. Sato wrapped her arm around her and softly encouraged her in a quiet voice.

Takagi, James and Andre were looking at each other in a slightly concerned manner, Ran was holding onto Conan with a sad expression as he continued pondering over the facts, his chin resting on his fingers. The three apartment residents were standing around looking nervous or indignant.

".. A check of his vehicle yielded nothing. Clean as a whistle. Whether or not he had anything of value in there at the time remains to be seen. However, the search of this room did turn up the fact that most of Mr. Caufield's belongings, had been removed from the apartment. His dresser drawers all had their locks picked. There were signs of minute scratch marks around each one. All of the drawers were empty, and there was no sign whatsoever of his bags or suitcases he had planned to take with him to the airport." Megure declared in his usual deep commanding voice, before continuing. "Due to the fact that the fact that witnesses have placed Mr. Caufield at the scene of his apartment around late afternoon yesterday, we estimate that the timeline of the suspected abduction was commited around the dead of night, possibly after midnight, in order for the suspect or suspects to cover their actions, and cut down on witnesses."

Megure then turned to the three Americans and said "Since those close to you have corraborated your location at the for the past 15 hours, all three of you are cleared."

"Now wait a minute! How do you know that their friends aren't just covering for them?!" Mr. Tsukuda erupted, pointing in their direction, his ill fitting dress shirt strained across his unfit physique.

"EASY, Mr. Tsukuda! The same could easily be said for you!" Megure thundered back.

The grouchy tenant merely adopted a sulking expression, crossing his arms like a spoiled child.

"While we wait for him to calm down, let's begin with you, Miss Ito." Megure said, now collected again, turning to the unseemly Landlady.

"Like I said, I watched a television drama at around 9:00 pm , made a small curry dish, ate it by 10:30, then went to sleep. When I woke up around 6 in the morning, I had no indication anything had happened to Mr. Caufield until that commotion in the parking lot!" She explained, a bewildered look on her face.

"Thank you.." Megure said with a nod, before giving a harsh glare to Tsukuda. "Are you ready to act civilized, now?"

"Grr.. Like I said, I went straight to bed at 8 sharp. I had work in the morning.. Work that I'M MISSING on account of this incident!" The hefty man said with a grimace.

"Anyone to back this up?" Megure asked tersely with a raised eyebrow.

"I've never been late a day in my life! Not even with a cold! That's all the proof you need! Ask around my office!" He spat back.

"Fair enough.." Megure responded with intense suspicion.

[That guy has a major attitude problem.. And a problem with foreigners, it seems..] Conan thought as he glared with just as much suspicious curiosity.

Megure then turned to the somewhat frail middle aged lady and asked "Miss Matsuoka?"

She gave a nod, replying "Y..Yes. I had to get up early because the garbage collector usually comes much earlier than when I'm awake. So I made certain to head off to bed around 7:00 so I could catch him.. My friend Mayumi can vouch for me. I'm usually the one who puts out the bags of trash, it's a community thing, the tenants help one another."

"I see.. However, last night was the issue of the.. problem you'd been having.." Megure said, trying as best as he could to be discreet.

"Yes.. I.. had a minor case of.. well..stomach problems.. and had to get up once or twice in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. I believe it was something I ate at the restaurant I had dined at earlier that evening. Mayumi was with me." Miss Matsuoka explained. "I took a nice cold shower which I was certain would relax me, before heading off to sleep at 11:00.

"We'd better get this Mayumi girl over here to solidify this alibi of yours. May we have her contact information?" Megure asked.

[Hmm.. Now's my chance to do a little more investigating..] Conan thought with a steadfast expression. However, as he began to sneak away, Ran caught him by the hand!

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" She asked tempestuously.

"Uh.. I.. I need a cold drink..!" He skittishly replied.

"Later! We have to stay here! We'll be going home soon anyhow!" She rebuked.

[Hmph! Damn this body! I have to find somehow to get away from Ran and start looking for clues..] Conan thought in a frustrated manner.

"Alright, thank you, Miss Matsuoka. Now, we'll try to bring your friend over here and get this thing sorted out." Megure instructed the woman, before focusing on the three as a whole. "Now in the meantime, when was the last time all of you happened to see Mr. Caufield before his disappearence?" He asked with an authoritive stare.

With a heaving sigh of his pot bellied stomach, Tsukuda grumbled "I barely had any contact with the man. Occasionally, he'd ask.. In very poor Japanese.." He added, careful to add this fact ".. for a jump for his car's battery. He always seemed to be in a hurry.. As for the last time I saw him, it was about a week ago, he was standing inside his doorway wearing a pair of sunglasses, looking as if he were waiting for someone.. Like I said, a suspicious foreigner to the end.. These types.."

"THANK YOU, Mr. Tskuda, that is all the information I need.." Megure said, gruffly cutting him off.

[Eh?! Who could this Reggie man have been waiting for..?] Conan thought, his "little grey cels" processing at a fever pitch.. [It could have been with another agent.. Or.. Had he been trying to infiltrate the Organization as well..?] He considered with a grim expression.

Megure continued. "Miss Matsuoka, yourself?"

The gaunt woman gave a somewhat sad glance to the ground, before looking back up. "The last time I had seen him was the beginning of the week, he had offered to help me carry some grocery bags up to my room. He was very polite. I thanked him, and that was all." She informed him in a muted, resigned way.

"Thank you, Ma'am.." Megure said somewhat dubiously, before turning to the Landlady. "Miss Ito?"

"I last saw him two days ago.. Nothing out of the ordinary. Typical routine as I've mentioned. I came down to collect his rent. I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary aside from his usual suspicious behavior, only speaking to me through the cracked door and all that, but he'd been behaving that way since he'd been staying here." She said in a somewhat defensive manner.

"Hmph.. Why don't you mention the fight?" Tsukuda asked in a quiet, yet smug way. Giving Ito a side glare.

"Eh?" The detectives all sounded in unison.

Conan suddenly adopted a stern expression as he listened in.

"Quiet! There was no such thing!" Miss Ito shouted with her fingers to her lips.

"Wait a moment, Miss Ito! Are you hiding something from us? You could get into big trouble for witholding information!" Megure pressed.

"No! It.. It was nothing!" The homely woman said, placing her hands in front of her, beginning to perspire.

"Don't give me that! You two were shouting at each other! I lived on the same level as the foreigner and could see the whole thing from my window!" Tsukuda continued laying it on.

"Miss Ito, I'm going to have to ask you to explain yourself!" Megure insisted somewhat aggresively.

"Alright! Yes, we had a small argument! That was all! I checked his money envelope and told him that the pay was insufficient by about 5,000 Yen. He then got aggresive with me, saying that he would supply the rest later, and asked me to leave him alone!" The Landlady explained at a feverish pace. "Mind you, he had already been behind on his rent for the past two weeks and had been ducking me prior to that.."

"Alright, and how did this argument conclude?" Megure quiried.

"What?! What are you accusing me of?!" Miss. Ito suddenly exclaimed, her bloodshot eyes practically bugging out of her saggy fleshed skull.

"Easy, Ma'am.. I'm not accusing you of anything, I would just like to know what happened at the argument's conclusion." Megure sternly replied.

"Like I said, nothing! He screamed at me to leave, then he slammed the door! YOU claim to have seen all of this through the window, Tsukuda! YOU tell them!" Miss Ito screamed at the balding tenant, becoming hysterical.

"Well.. I didn't say I saw the WHOLE argument, just the scene of it occuring.." Tsukuda said with a sly smile, before becoming a contemptful snarl "She may have killed him right there.."

"WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU!" Ito shrieked, her atrocious rotten choppers in full view, as she lunged at Tsukuda as if to throttle him by the throat.

Immediately, Sato and Takagi stepped in to physically hold her back, straining even with their intense stamina training!

"CONTROL YOURSELF, Miss Ito! Or we'll have to lock you up in a holding cell!" Sato loudly reprimanded.

"And Mr. Tsukuda, for the last time, keep your smart remarks to yourself, or you'll join her! There's no evidence that Mr. Caufield has been murdered!" Megure followed suit.

Suddenly, there came the sound of rushing footsteps and the stout form of Detective Chiba came rushing into the room! "Inspector! Inspector! I have horrifying news to report!" He announced in a panting, uneasy manner.

"Dammit, Chiba! Can't this wait?! We're in the middle of a serious investigation!" Megure admonished.

The Detective briskly saluted, before apologizing, catching his breath "Forgive me, Inspector, but there has just been a report of a body found in a wooded area! A dismembered, charred corpse found in the smoldering heap of a burnable refuse pile! Look!" He explained, taking out his cell phone.

There was a gasp of horror from most of the officers and civilians as Chiba held up the screen of his cellular device to show the upper torso of a blackened skeleton! The skull's jaw opened in a frozen scream!

TO BE CONTINUED.. 


	3. Chapter 3

Ran shielded her face with terror "Oh, that's HORRIBLE!"

Jodie now began to shudder with a petrified expression "No..No.. Please don't let it be Reggie.." she mumbled.

Sato once again held the woman close to her, giving her a comforting pat on the shoulder, trying her best to fight tears herself.

Megure, in a rather rough manner, took Chiba aside and whispered rather unsubtly "Chiba, we just happened to have been in the middle of a missing person investigation. Several of said person's friends are present, so, just in case this happens to be him, try to be a little more covert with your findings!"

The rotund detective's face fell with shame. "I'm sorry, Inspector.. I.. I didn't know.."

"Well, now you have let the cat out of the bag, so when the deceased arrives at the morgue, I want his dental record identification, if any, reported back to me at once." Megure ordered.

"Yes, Sir.." Chiba answered, his head still hung low.

Just then, a rather modernly dressed youger woman, her dark brown hair tied up into a long, drooping ponytail, sasshayed into the front door, accompanied by an officer.

"What's going on here?! I get called up from work by the Police to come here, and.." She began with a rather irritated expression, when she caught sight of Miss Matsuoka.

"Ah! Chiyoko, are you alright?" She asked with concern.

"Yes.. I'm fine.." The woman responded, not even bothering to crack a relieved smile.

"You must be Mayumi." Megure said.

"That's correct. My name is Mayumi Naito. Just what is going on here?!" The woman demanded.

"There's a missing persons investigation at this apartment, and your acquaintance here is one of the suspects." Megure informed her.

"What? How would Chiyoko have anything to do with a disappearence? She's never hurt anyone in her life!" Mayumi replied defensively.

"Hold on here, Miss Naito, we're not saying that anyone has been hurt, we're just doing our duties as investigators." Megure said, trying to set her at ease.

"Well, you're going after the wrong woman!" Mayumi stated in an outraged fashion.

"Very well, we'll figure this out in the investigation." Megure replied, before inquiring in a pressing manner "Now, how are you and Miss Matsuoka aquantied?"

"We work at the same hair salon together. She taught me everything I know." Mayumi said somewhat reflectively, before adopting a cross expression again, asking "So, just who is missing, anyway?"

"A foreigner named Reggie Caufield." Megure replied.

"Ah! Reggie?" Mayumi asked in shock, her eyes wide open.

Conan adopted a firm, focused expression upon hearing this.

"You knew the person, Ma'am?" Megure implored curiously.

"Y..Yes, Chiyoko and I have had lunch with him, several times! He was quite friendly, a little secretive and skittish at times, but overall, a nice man."

"Tell me something Miss Matsuoka, how come you left out your previous association with Mr. Caufield?" Megure turned to Miss Matsuoka, demanding with a leery expression.

"I.. I didn't think it was important.. I barely knew him that well.." Miss Matsuoka replied quite apprehensively.

"You knew him enough to have with him several times. That's not something I'd do for a stranger every day." Sato added, beginning to eye the sad looking woman with scrutiny.

"No.. No, you misunderstood! He was the one who would ask me. He offered to pay and everything.." Matsuoka clarified. "They were some of the nicest restaurants in the area, and I just couldn't resist the offer."

"And how would you know that Mr. Caufield had pure intentions for you?" Megure asked. "It doesn't seem very wise to accept a strange man's offer for a lunch date."

"I know, I felt that way myself. That's why I brought Mayumi along, for extra security." Matsuoka expounded. "The date, if you'd like to call it that, was very nice. We had a great time, and Reggie even offered to pay for Mayumi's meal as well, although he was unaware of her arrival. A few more lunch dates followed, but each time, he grew a little more, and more.. Well.. Forward with me."

"NO!" Came the loud voice of Jodie's objection, the residue of her tears still in the corner of her eyes. "YOU'RE A LIAR! Reggie is happily married! His wife just had another baby and he was on his way to see him for the first time!"

James took her by the shoulders to gently restrain her. "Easy, Jodie, your shouting won't get us anywhere." He calmly told her.

"I'm very sorry, Ma'am. Your friend never told me that." Matsuoka replied in a quiet, reserved way. "I mean, he never talked about his wife, and I didn't ever see a wedding ring on any of his fingers."

"What..?" Jodie asked in disbelief.

Conan continued to mull this over with deep mental acrobatics. [This doesn't make much sense. This Caufield guy is becoming more and more suspicious by the moment. Is this woman hiding something as well..?] He wondered as he stared suspiciously at Matsuoka.

"In fact.. I became so nervous, that I even hired a private detective to secretly tail him to see if he was up to something sinister." Matsuoka explained.

"Huh?! My Dad is a private eye. The famous "Sleeping Kogoro". Maybe he could've helped you." Ran said, perking up at this.

"Oh, but you see this young man was very convienant. He just happened to be eating lunch near us, and claimed to overhear Mayumi and I talking about our concerns, and offered to do some surviellence on him. His price was very reasonable, and he even offered to pay us back if nothing sinister turned up." Matsuoka built upon.

[Hmm. Very interesting.. What an accomadating and coincidental situation.. Yes, whomever this guy is, he may have simply seen an opportunity for a case.. Or something else..] Conan though with great interest.

"And did this investigator find anything..?" Megure pried.

"Just that he had overheard him talking to his wife on a cell phone outside a department store downtown and that he was in fact married with a family." Matsuoka explained sullenly. "The next time I saw Mr. Caufield is when he was offering to help me with the groceries. I was very weary, fearing he might try something. So, I called the detective again, and he said that he would watch out for him. Of course that was the last time I saw or heard from Mr. Caufield."

"Well, given that you've kept such a big piece of information from us, Ma'am, how do we know, that you're not witholding anything else..?" Megure asked in an apprehensive manner, his gaze as fixed as a hawk's.

"No, I..I'm not! I assure you!" Matsuoka responded in a lively way.

"Miss Naito, when was the last time you had contact with Miss Matsuoka? Megure turned, asking Mayumi.

"I..It was last night in the early evening.. We had both just gotten off from work.." Mayumi explained.

"And how did Miss Matsuoka's mood appear? Did she say anything out of the ordinary that would suspect you of anything?" Megure asked, continuing the interrogation.

"No! Of course not! She just appeared her usual calm and collected self!" Mayumi responded somewhat resentfully, taking offense at the suggestion.

Megure then turned back to Matsuoka, and asked "Well, then, Ma'am, with your permission, we may have to contact this investigator and get his side of the story. Do you still have his contact information?" Megure asked.

"Ah, yes.. He didn't have a business card or anything, so I had to write his number down on a slip of paper." Matsuoka replied, beginning to dig through her purse.

During this, Conan noticed an extremely tense expression on her face, as though there was something in her purse she was focused on.. [Just what are up to, Miss Matsuoka..?] He thought with a laser focus expression.

"Ah! Found it!" She replied, extracting a small, square yellow sticky note, handing it to Megure.

Megure inspected the writing on the note, before turning to an officer and ordered "Get this gentleman on the phone and tell him that an urgent investigation is underway, and that I would like to see him in person as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir." The officer briskly saluted before heading outside.

"Well, everybody.. Until some word comes up.." The words were barely out of Megure's mouth when Chiba's cell phone went off again. The Chief Inspector glared at the rotund Detective, as he sheepishly extracted it and answered it, stepping to the edge of the door and speaking quietly, giving a quick, somewhat reserved glance back inside, before ending the call, walking slowly back inside with a look of regret, and took Megure aside, whispering in his ear.

A grim expression came across the Inspector's face, before clearing his throat, and looking in Jodie's direction, saying with great dramatic weight "Miss Starling, perhaps you should sit down.."

"N..No.. Don't tell me.." Jodie began, tears once again forming in her eyes, her teeth beginning to grind.

The rest of those present, save the stalwart detectives, and seemingly unconcerned tenants adopted looks of fearful anticipation.

Megure took a deep heaving sigh, seemingly not wanting the following explanation to pass his lips. "That was the coroner examining the dental records with that of Mr. Caufield's.. Ladies and Gentlemen.. This case has just become a homicide..."

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	4. Chapter 4

"Jodie couldn't even speak.. Her sorrow seemed to immediately render her dumb. She tried her best to keep herself together, keep her posture straight, shoulders up, eyes forward, resolute expression.. Goodness, she wasn't even that close to him.. But.. So shortly after Shu.. Shu.. That was it, she sank to her knees, and the gasping sobs came.

Sato immediately knelt down and embraced her, repeating "I'm sorry, Jodie.. I'm sorry.." in a hushed voice. Staying strong and doing her best to fight back her own tears of sympathy.

"M..Miss Jodie.. Oh, how horrible.." Ran could only mumble while looking straight ahead, tears steaming down her own face.

Conan could only growl and grit his teeth out of frustration.

James bowed his head forward, a great metaphysical weight being placed upon his shoulders. "Camel.. I want you to get in touch with our superiors as soon as possible. I'll get in touch with Mandy.. And tell her.."

"Y.. Yes, sir.." Camel affirmed somberly.

"Alright.. As of this moment, this entire apartment building is immediately considered a crime scene." Megure, taking charge, announced to all present. "I want crime scene tape put up, and full investigations of the premises!"

"WHAT?! You mean you're going to search our rooms?!" Tsukuda asked in an outraged voice. "Over my dead body! You'd better get a search warrant before you.."

Not waiting until he had finished, Megure marched right over to Tsukuda and glared right into his dodgy eyes. "We have reason to believe that Mr. Caufield was abducted from this apartment, and there is the great possibility that another tenant was possible, Mr. Tsukuda, so we must do all that we can in order to take the suspect down before they get away.. And if you would like to interefere in a homicide investigation, and be arrested for your troubles, that's fine, but it would go a lot smoother, in my opinon, if you would just let us do our jobs, and get this whole thing over with.." He explained, roasting him quite exquisitely.

Tsukuda's blood was now boiling, his breath coming in short pants, veins on his neck. And, in the same exhale as his resigned sigh, he grumbled, "Fine.."

Megure then turned to his team "Takagi, Sato, Chiba fan out with the men and investigate." Before turning back to the tempremental businessman, with a mischievous grin. "We'll start with Mr. Tsukuda, here.."

Tsukuda could only gripe to himself in response.

Megure's attention then focused on the three foriegn agents. "Miss Jodie, James, Camel, you three are free to leave. I can understand if Jodie doesn't wish to see any more of this.." He said respectfully.

To every one's surprise, Jodie suddenly rose to her feet, as if injected with a needle full of adrenaline, her legs now firm and strong again. Then, with her hair obscuring her eyes, she said in a voice filled with determined indignation "No.. I'll stay.. I NEED to be here.. I NEED to look into this person's face when they're exposed.. I NEED to ask them why they deprived a man of a chance of ever seeing his new baby..."

Everyone was flabbergasted to say the least. Ran stood petrified with an understanding expression. Beneath her, Conan seemed to be feeding off of her energy, with practically the same expression, as if she had now finally understood why he himself had chosen the life that he had..

On the way to his door, Tsukuda seemed to drag and shuffle his feet on his way to the door, followed by the investigators. He took out his keys, turned the lock as slowly as possible, and, almost as if he were not trying to awaken anybody, opened the door at a slug's pace.

Megure sighed with frustration. "Thank you, Mr. Tsukuda. Now, if you would kindly allow us to enter the room at a normal human's speed, we can get to the investigation."

"Go right in.." Tsukuda replied dully, his voice seasoned with bitterness.

The Detectives and forensics team entered, giving an initial sweep of the area. The word "anal-rententive" came to mind. Shelves upon shelves of business-looking folders, plastic over practically every item of furniture, not a speck of dust to be found, a neat, completely stainless carpet. This certainly didn't look like a murder scene, that's for sure..

[Looks normal so far..] Conan thought, looking around uncertainly. [But appearences can be decieving..]

"Like things nice and clean, don't you, Mr. Tsukuda..?" Megure asked rhetorically.

"I'll kindly thank you to place it back in the condition it was in before!" Tsukuda snapped back.

"We'll be certain to vacuum the rug when we're done.." Megure said unconvincingly, as the members of his team went about their duties.

Takagi was heading towards his closet, when Tsukuda rushed in front of him, making a motion with his arms. "Wait! U.. T..There is a loose electircal wire in here, and I just wanted to get it out of the way.." He explained, somewhat apologetically.

"I'm sure I'll be fine, Mr. Tsukuda.." Takagi replied, firm and authoritive.

"N..No, really, I insist.." Tsukuda persisted.

"Are you trying to hide something from us?" Takagi demanded, now becoming aggravated.

"No.. You.. You see, I.." Tsukuda nervously objected.

"Okay, sir, MOVE ASIDE!" Sato, having enough, said with a heated expression, rougly shoving him out of the way with a powerful motion.

"Get your hands off.. NO, WAIT!" Tsukuda exclaimed, struggling, as he struggled with Sato. Without acknowledging him, Takagi flung open the closet... And gasped.

Conan's face turned serious as well as he dashed to look at what Takagi had discovered.

"Ah! Conan! Wait!" Ran called after him.

Conan stopped dead in his tracks, a look of possible fright, turned into one of confusion.

There.. Displayed in plain sight, on a shelf besides a row of pushed aside plastic covered suits on hangars, were rows and rows of jewlery.. Chains, rings, bracelets, and Rolex looking watches..

"Ah! Inspector!" Takagi called out, as Tsukuda stopped resisting, bowing his head with a blush of shame.

Megure raced over, took a quick glance, before glowering accusingly at Tsukuda. "Well.. Those are SOME electrical wires, Mr. Tsukuda.. Care to explain yourself?"

Tsukuda's shoulders began to shake as he began to audibly sob softly to himself. Sato, releasing him, gave him a disapproving look..

"That.. That.. four legged.. It's HER fault!" Tsukuda growled, his eyes still squeezed shut.

"Hmm? Who is this HER?" Megure asked.

Tsukuda paused for a moment.. "It was some years ago. Her name was Rebecca.. She was a foreigner from America and an intern at my company.." He began to explain.

[So.. A foreigner..] Conan pondered internally.

"She was very beautiful, and so energetic. We actually took to each other quite early on. I offered to help her with her Japanese, and she offered to help me with my English. Needless to say, we got.. closer and closer, until a relationship formed.." Tsukuda continued, almost beginning to crack a smile, as the pleasant memories of her seemed to flood back.

"And, I can assume something went wrong.." Megure alluded.

Tsukuda's heavy breathing now increased, as venom began to sink into his voice. "She wasn't AT ALL what she appeared.. She was a member of a racket that would enhance peices of cheap jewelry and sell it for nearly 10 times the price. I.. I didn't want to go through with it.. She.. She said it would only be for a few days.. and then, one day, suddenly she flees back to America without telling me, leaving me with all the organized crime characters burning up my phone, demanding that I finish the job.. I.. I was trapped in it after that.." He explained before once again beginning heaving sobs.

"Pull yourself together!" Megure ordered, before asking "Why didn't you just go to the Police?"

"Because.. I.. I suppose.. In a weird way.. I suppose I still loved her.. And wanted to help her.. But, I NEVER trusted a foreigner again!" Tsukuda said with a defiant shout.

Ran had a confused look on her face, not certain whether to be appalled or sympathetic, while Conan was serious through and through, glaring with his arms crossed.

[So, that explains his bigotry, then.] He concluded.

Megure then turned to Chiba, on the other side of the room calling out "Chiba, did the team or coroner mention anything about the late Mr. Caufield's wedding ring anywhere near the body's location?"

"No, Inspector. If it was anywhere near the scene, it wasn't reported." Chiba replied.

"Well, needless to say, you're already going away for your role in this fraud business, but if Mr. Caufield's ring happens to surface in your collection.. You'll be in even bigger trouble.." He warned as an officer placed him in handcuffs.

"What?! NO! I told you! I had nothing to do with it!" Tsukuda shrieked as he was taken out the door.

"Well.. That was unexpected.." Takagi quipped. "What a pitiful man.."

"Inspector, do you really think..?" Sato said with concern, walking up to him.

"No, most likely not.. He wouldn't make the mistake of committing murder if he were already knee deep in an illegal act as this, and he certainly wouldn't put such glaring evidence as part of his collection." Megure explained.

Suddenly, a chill seemed to run up Miss Matsuoka's spine, as she nervously put her hand to her mouth..

Conan witnessed this and furrowed his brows warily..

"Well, let us move onto your room, Miss Ito." Megure instructed the landlady.

"A..Alright, but I must warn you, it's a bit messy." She responded.

"I'm sure we've seen messier.." Megure said as they began to head for the door.

As soon as the door to Miss Ito's room/office opened, an extremely foul stench hit the party's noses. Some recoiled and gagged. The more expierienced simply wrinkled their nostrils.

Megure pushed the door open to see the completely repulsive sight of a couple of bags of garbage lined against the wall, a confused looking tabby cat wandering around aimlessly nest to a kitty litter box from which flies buzzed around.

"GOOD GRIEF, MISS ITO!" Megure blared out like a foghorn. "What in the..?!"

"I know, Inspector.. I.. I haven't had the time to clean yet. Like I said, I ate and went directly to sleep. I felt drowsy.." She attempted to explain.

"I'd be surprised that you'd be able to keep your eyes closed with that smell!" Megure fired back.

"I.. I know.. It's just that it was Miss Matsuoka's duty to see to the trash.." She continued.

"And what was your duty? TO COLLECT EVERYONE'S?!" Megure yelled in disgust.

"YES!" Miss Ito shouted, her bloodshot, tobacco yellowed eyes beginning to well up with tears.  
"What?" Megure asked incredulously.

"I.. I go through the trash of my tenants to see if there's anything I can possibly blackmail them with.." The wretched old woman admitted, her toad like mouth pulled down in a frown. "I'm heavily in debt at the moment, and their rent payments are simply not enough to keep this place running."

"Ah! How.. How could you..?" Miss Matsuoka exclaimed.

"So, tell me, when Mr. Caufield didn't have enough rent money, did anything else happen? Now's the time to spill it!" Megure commanded.

"NO! I.. I swear I didn't do anything to him! I just left!" Miss Ito maintained fightfully.

"Really? Then why not leave your garbage outside? Who ELSE will we find in these bags?!" He began to interrogate.

"NO! There's NOBODY.." Miss Ito began to object.

"Excuse me, Inspector.." A young man's voice interrupted, with surprising authority.

"Huh?" Megure, and the others turned to see a tall, well built gentleman in his late 20's. He had very well tanned skin, a handsome, umarked face with piercing, hawk like eyes, with a head of longish blonde hair that was so light that it almost appeared white. He was dressed fashionably in a black turtleneck sweater, with a dark grey doublebreasted suit jacket and a pair of matching slacks along with two well polished dress shoes.

Ran blushed at the very sight of him as he continued in a matter of fact way "I've actually done a little snooping myself, and I can tell you that Miss Ito is 100 percent innocent of Mr. Caufield's murder."

"Ah!" Came the general concensus of the crowd. Conan was particularly confused.

"What?! Who are you? And how would you know that?!" Megure scoffed.

He continued in a somewhat coy fashion "By the way, I'm certain that Miss Matsuoka recognizes me, but I'd at least thought Megure would expect me, seeing as how I was sent for.. My name is Toru Amuro, Detective!"

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	5. Chapter 5

"Wha?! So you're the private detective that Miss Matsuoka hired?" Megure asked inquisitively.

Amuro gave a brief smirk and replied "That's correct."

"So, what kind of snooping were you able to do that eliminated Miss Ito as a suspect in your mind?" Megure needled in a somewhat irritated manner.

"Well.. It's simply a matter of deductive reasoning. As part of my assignment, I've had this apartment under surviellence for quite some time." Amuro began to explain.

"WH..WHAT?!" Miss Ito and Matsuoka both exclaimed at once in disbelief.

"I know that was not exactly part of your request, Miss Matsuoka, but if I caught Mr. Caufield at his residence doing something suspicious, close to you as he may have been, it would've been somewhat more convienant to alert you." He reasoned.

"I.. I see.." Miss Matsuoka replied somewhat uneasily.

[Hmm.. This P.I. and I seem to headed towards the same conclusion..] Conan acutely pondered.

"Alright, Mr. Amuro. Continue your explanation." Megure prodded.

"Certainly. For the past week or so, Mr. Caufield and Miss Ito have actually had little to no contact whatsoever. Other than that little altercation two days ago." Amuro said, resuming his deduction. "However, he did make some other sort of contact with.." He paused relectively, before adopting a dramatic, accusing pose "MISS MATSUOKA, HERSELF!" Pointing in her direction!

There was a collective gasp as all involved turned to see Matsuoka, her face ghostly white and her eyes bugged out. "WHA.. What are you talking about?!" She asked with surprise.

Amuro continued to level his x-ray-like glare at the terrified woman. "I'm referring to the sight of you nervously coming out of Mr. Caufield's room on several occasions, him doing his best to shoo you from the door as quickly as possible, and you giving one last quick loving kiss on his cheek.."

"LIAR!" Mayumi interjected, shouting indignantly at Amuro. "Where's your proof of this?!"

With not a hint of the previous arrogance that had coated his prior disposition, Amuro immediately took out his smartphone, tapped a few buttons, and with a stone cold expression, held the screen up for all to see. Everyone eagerly leaned forward to the distant image of two people standing in Caufield's doorway, appearing that it had been taken from inside his car pointed towards the windshield. Matsuoka began to heavily perspire.

"Th..That could be anybody!" Mayumi declared audaciously, beginning to sweat herself.

"Oh, that's alright.. I can enhance it.." Amuro said just as emotionlessly as his expression. Tapping the enhance button several times, revealing the undeniable image of Miss Matsuoka clearly leaning forward and kissing a flustered looking Mr. Caufield, disguised with a pair of sunglasses over his eyes. "I don't appreciate my clients two timing me during an investigation, Miss Matsuoka.." Amuro added.

"R.. Reggie?!" Jodie exclaimed with shock..

[Ah.. I see now..] Conan thought with an adamant glare.

Mayumi, an extremely hurt expression on her face, turned back to her old friend. "Chiyoko..?"

"Okay! Yes, we were lovers, alright?! He didn't tell me anything! I didn't know he was married!" Matsuoka revealed, tears streaming down her face.

"So that explains Mr. Caufield's dodgy behavior when Miss Ito came to his door.. Miss Matsuoka must've still been inside, possibly in his bed.." Megure deduced out loud.

"Yes, alright? I was, B.. But I didn't kill him or anything! Go ahead, search my apartment!" Matsuoka shouted emotionally.

"I believe we'll do just that!" Megure replied, walking out the door, the rest of the team following him to the next apartment.

"That.. That man wasn't whom we thought he was.." Ran said to herself as she looked over at Jodie somewhat rigidly, her voice filled with a thirst for justice, which reflected on her expression. "A friend should never do that to those he loves, right Conan..?" She asked, casting her bold stare in his direction.

"Uh.. R-Right, Ran.." He nervously affirmed, the coincidental nature of the question not escaping him..

Jodie was now balling her hands into fists, once again attempting to hold the tears back, every new revelation about someone she thought she had known flying out the window.. James did his best to attempt to console her. However, as they walked out into the cold, cloudy afternoon, he looked over at Andre intently viewing his own smartphone screen.

"Blast it, Camel, can't you at least show a little respect?" He said under his breath, indicating to Jodie.

"Sorry, Sir, I was just checking my messages to see if Bennett had texted me back about getting the message out about Reggie." He explained, lowering the device.

"Well, at least wait until after the investigation.." He muttered wearily.

Upon Matsuoka opening the door to her apartment, and flicking on the light, the detectives, Amuro included immediately began a direct sweep of the living room. Checking the furniture, behind the television, ect. As Matsuoka stood there with a somewhat resentful expression, Conan in turn looking at her with the fixation of an art critic.

Upon opening the cabinet under the sink, a look of curiosity came across Sato's face, she then called out "Inspector, there don't seem to be any garbage bag liners under the sink. The trash has simply been stuffed into the rubbish can over there."

[Huh?! Wait a minute!] Conan thought, a recent memory

"Now, that's very funny.. Do you always do such a thing, Ma'am?" Megure quieried. "I'd imagine that cleaning it afterwards would be quite a task."

"Of course not! I simply ran out of liners and hadn't the opportunity to buy any at the store!" The middle aged woman clarified in a cheerful, almost girlish way.

Suddenly, Conan walked up and, as if reflecting her bouyant disposition, stated "Wow, Miss Matsuoka, you'd better hurry up then, since you're the one who takes care of setting out the garbage, in case any of your friends needed help!"

Matsuoka's heart skipped a beat as she stared with fright at Conan's innocently smiling face.

Megure picked up the hint. "Now wait, didn't you put out the trash early in the morning? THIS morning when Mr. Caufield's skeleton was found in a burning trash pile!"

The formerly sad and sullen looking woman now came alive with almost petulant fury "How.. How can you accuse me of doing that! I'll have my lawyer upon you!" She shouted, making a motion as if to slap Megure.

Conan's mind then raced as he attempted to locate some other type of clue.. He performed a quick revisit of her alibi.. Then, the mental lightbulb. A little too expected, but appropriate..

"AAAAAH! I'VE GOTTA GO TO THE BATHROOM!" Came his loud shout of feigned distress. Grabbing at his lower torso to "hold it in".

The crowd turned to acknowlege the shrieking child.

Conan then rushed back up to Miss Matsuoka asking in desperation "Miss Matsuoka, where's your bathroom?! Please!"

The woman did not know whether to assist or stand in confused silence. She quickly pointed to a door in the left hand corner of the room. "Why, there, but you see.." She began to explain.

"Thanks!" Conan replied energetically, before racing off in it's direction.

"Conan, wait!" Ran shouted in objection, giving chase. Sato and Takagi following suit.

Amuro, standing beside the others, adopted a sly smirk, and a clandestine nod of his head..

Upon entering the bathroom, Conan executed a textbook slide on the moist floor, landing flat on his bottom. "OWW!" He whined in semi-genuine pain.

"CONAN! Are you alright?!" Ran exclaimed concernedly, kneeling by his side.

"Yes.. I'm okay.." Conan affirmed, rising and rubbing his sore posterior. "I guess I should've been more careful before running in, though. She must've recently cleaned with bleach.." He noted, pointing to the floor.

The two detectives then made their way inside.. Yes, there WAS the scent of bleach, as if.. to clean something off the floor.

Sato then entered the room again, staring confrontionally at Matsuoka. "My, Miss Matsuoka, you seem to have made a mess. An accident perhaps?" she asked somewhat serrupteciously.

"Uh.. Yes. One of the times I had to use the restroom, I was.. how should I say.. Not quick enough." She explained with an embarrassed chuckle, yet evasive eyes.

Sato, running with this, acknowledged Miss Ito, asking "Miss Ito, your room is adjacent to Miss Matsuoka's and you were still awake around the same time she was taking a shower, did you happen to notice anything unsual?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. Through the sound of the shower, I could also make out several faint thudding sounds. I feared something may have been wrong with the water pipe system." She answered.

Conan's suspicious expression only intensified.

"Now, that's funny.. What could that have been..?" Megure said with a faint accusation, giving Matsuoka a sideways glance.

"W.. What is THAT supposed to mean?!" The woman demanded, now more confrontational than ever. Fury burning in her once docile brown eyes.

Conan's gaze remained fixed on her small purse slung over her shoulder [I've got to get a look inside that purse.. I know!] He thought, coming to a realization. Suddenly, he placed his mouth and nose into his cupped hands and let out a huge phony sneeze. "AAAH-CHOO!"

The entire group looked down as he sniffled and said "Oh, excuse me!" Somewhat bashfully, before turning to Matsuoka and asking "Miss Matsuoka, do you have a tissue I could borrow?"

The woman was caught off guard. "Uh.. Wh..Why, yes.. Certainly.." She nervously stammered, before beginning to dig into her purse.

"Oh, that's okay, I can help!" Conan said with childish enthusiasm, making a grab for the handbag, yanking the strap from her shoulder!

"AH! No, wait!" She objected, as Conan jammed his hand inside!

"CONAN!" Ran shouted with authority, grabbing him by the arm. "You shouldn't take something from somebody without asking! Give it back!"

Just then, with a triumphant grin, he extracted what he had been looking for, a fancy looking gold ring with two silver linings inside and out.

"Oooh! What a pretty ring! Look, Miss Jodie!" He said, holding it up to her.

"AH! That's Reggie's ring!" Jodie exclaimed.

Mayumi gasped in shock at this.

"GIVE ME THAT, YOU LITTLE MONSTER!" Matsuoka, her face now twisted with inhuman fury, screeched as she snatched it from Conan's fingers.

"That was very naughty, Conan!" Ran reprimanded, wagging her finger with an angry expression.

"Wait a minute!" Megure interjected, maneuvering towards Matsuoka. "Let me see that ring!" He barked harshly.

"N..NO! I.." She began to object.

"I said hand it over!" He ordered.

With a grim frown, she reluctantly did so.

Megure walked over to the three agents "Are you certain that this is Mr. Caufield's ring, Miss Jodie?" He asked.

"Yes! I've seen him wearing it whenever I would happen to see him!" Jodie affirmed with passionate energy.

"As have I!" James followed suit.

"Same here." Andre joined in.

"I.. I've even seen him wearing it on one or two occasions!" Miss Ito spoke up.

Conan then adopted a triumphant smile.

"Well, now isn't that funny?!" Megure asked rhetorically, walking back towards Matsuoka, holding the ring damningly in front of her face. "FOUR positive ID's, along with a bunch of suspicious activity regarding your movements last night, coupled with the fact that you claimed to NEVER see him wear a wedding ring!" Megure hammered home his charge. "How much do you want to bet that a quick forensics test will turn up Mr. Caufield's DNA on this ring?!"

All life seemed to drain from Matsuoka's face as she dropped to her hands in a bowing position, beginning to sob hysterically. "It's.. It's HIS FAULT! HE USED ME!" She yelled bitterly between gasps, her body shuddering.

"What?! You.. You killed him, Chiyoko?!" Mayumi asked frightfully, tears pouring from her eyes, a look of sadness and betrayal on her face.

The group paused, some with looks of unbelief, others with stone cold disgust, as they waited for her to continue..

"He.. He never told me that he was married, and he would make moves on me! HE was the one who seduced ME!" She continued to explain, her voice starting to crack with emotion. "Just two days ago, he told me about his wife and child back in America.. I.. I asked him why.. And.. And that MONSTER told me.. That he just needed a "girl on the side" while he was away from her! He then had the NERVE to tell me.. Who had been without the love of a man most of my life, that I needed to "GET OVER IT"! I plotted on how to do away with him right there!" a growl of rage now starting to fill her voice. "First, I asked if he could join me in my room the night before he left.. The FOOL fell for it, as soon as he entered, I placed a cloroform soaked rag over his mouth and nose! He struggled for a bit, but eventually fell unconcious. I then dragged him to the bathroom, stripped him then took him into the shower and CHOPPED HIM into pieces with an an axe with the water running to cut down on the blood! I then put the body parts in some garbage bags filled with leaves for the burnable trash, broke into his apartment, took all of the demon's clothes and luggage and placed them all outside for the garbage collectors like usual, then I cleaned up inside my apartment, drove out to a nearby lake, tossed the axe in, and.." She began to continue, but stopped cold.

"But yet, you KEPT his wedding ring with you.. Something you knew would incriminate you if it were found on you.. Why..?" Megure asked serious and business-like.

Again.. Matsuoka was silent for a few moments, the next words came out in almost a whisper. "Because.. In a way.. I did genuinely love him.. I.. Just couldn't let go after.. After all those times.."

[I see.. Just like Tsukuda.. Deceptive love is still love to the lonely.. A love that they can't give up.. No matter how much it may endanger their own freedom..] Conan reflected with a serious frown as Ran stood beside him with tears in her eyes.

Sato manuvered behind Matsuoka, placing her in handcuffs, and pulled her to her feet. However, before she could be taken away, Jodie marched in front of her, to the Detective's surprise.

Jodie looked as if she were surpressing a volcano of hurt and wrath. She removed her eyeglasses and stared straight into Matsuoka's face with her bare bloodshot and tearing eyes. "Miss Matsuoka.. I'd just like to share something with you.." She said with a snarl, taking out her smartphone, and showed her a picture of a quite beautiful, yet tired looking woman lying in a hospital bed, a sleeping baby with a cap on it's head in her arms. "This is something Mr. Caufield will never get to see in person.. His wife's newborn son.. And this innocent little boy will never get to know his father... Jodie said, beginning to choke with the emotion she was experiencing. "And take it from me.. Living without a family is something NO CHILD should EVER have to experience.. And.. The fact that this man whom I thought I knew.. Betrayed his wife so heartlessly.. Is the only reason I will not STRIKE you across your face!" She concluded firmly, before turning her head away and beginning to sob. Sato, did her best to keep herself composed as she continued to escort Matsuoka out the door.

Ran firmly took Conan's hand in hers, looking down at him sorrowfully "Come on, Conan, lets go home.. I think Miss Jodie needs to be alone.."

Conan looked back with intense sympathy as Jodie rushed into James' arms. "James.. Just.. Just let me go back to America.. I.. I can't take it here any more.." She pleaded mournfully.

"Of course, my dear.. Of course.." James replied in a compassionate tone.

As Ran and Conan walked past Amuro, the young man slyly looked down at him, and congratulated "Excellent detective work back there, boy.." with a covert wink.

Conan froze with confusion. [Huh? W..What's this guy's deal?] He thought suspiciously.

All of a sudden, Andre's smartphone began to buzz as it vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and answered "Hi, Bennet. Good timing, we just found out that Reg.. HUH?" He began to ask, before being cut off by the caller "Tony? What the hell's going on? Where's Bennett?" A short pause, then his face lit up with alarm! "WHAT?! W..What the hell happened?!" He shouted in surprise.

All involved looked over at Andre, even Jodie, the tears still running from her eyes.

"What in blazes is it, Camel?!" James demanded with tension in his voice.

"Yes! W.. We'll be right there!" He responded quickly, before hanging up and looking James square in the eye with a disturbed expression. "It's Agent Bennett! He's dead! They just found his body crushed under a train!"

"WHAT?!" James asked. Jodie, in his arms just looked on with a petrified expression.

Conan was just as alarmed [What? A.. Another one?! What is going on?!] He thought with complete dismay.

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	6. Chapter 6

An uneasy feeling went throughout the entire crowd.. Agent and Detective alike.. The feeling of a metaphoric 1-2 K.O. combination .. Another FBI Agent..?

James turned to the shuddering figure of Jodie cradled in his arms. "It's alright, Jodie. I'll arrange for a car to take you back home." He consoled her.

Pulling away and looking firmly up into his eyes, Jodie replied passionately "NO... Another of our colleagues have died, I have to see if there's any aspect of foul play!"

"Alright.." James affirmed, understanding completely.

Conan was now in full suspicion mode, his eyes squinted with misgivings. [One right after the other.. This can't be right..] He then felt the force of Ran beginng to pull him away by the arm.

"Come on, Conan! We're going home!" She said, quite eager to leave.

"No, wait, Ran! I wanna see the trains!" Conan objected, turning on his "child mode".

"No, Conan! These people have to work!" Ran said forcefully.

Once again, James came to the rescue, calmly and respectfully approaching the perturbed girl. "Now, Miss Mori, don't worry. If the boy wishes to accompany us, he is quite welcome." He said with affection.

"But, Mr. Black, I don't think it's healthy for Conan to continue viewing such horrible scenes." Ran replied with concern.

"I assure you, Miss Mori, I will make sure the boy is occupied in a way where he will not have to view anything.. Unpleasant.." James reassured her.

Ran pondered this for a few moments, before looking back up and stating hesitantly. "Well, Okay, but I HAVE to stay with him in that case!"

"Of course!" James replied.

[Oh, boy.. Now it's gonna be much harder to attempt to investigate..] Conan grumbled in his thoughts.

"Ah, Inspector Megure..?" Amuro said, attempting to get the man's attention.

"Hmm?" The large detective gruffly turned.

With a sober expression, the young man requested "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to accompany the team as they inspect the scene. I need to continue to brush up on my skills.. And who knows.. Maybe I can find a clue or two that may be overlooked.." Concluding with a bit of a shade of arrogance.

After a short bit of consideration, Megure shrugged his shoulders somewhat indifferently, saying "Alright.." under his breath.

"Wataru and I will give you a ride." Sato told Ran. Ran nodded her head.

As the team began to head off towards their mode of transport, Amuro looked down at Conan with boyish enthusiasm, saying "Don't try to solve this one too quickly!"

Conan could only stare in stunned, cautious silence.

The Beika subway was already filled with a crowd of angry commuters being held back by officers setting up barricades.

"Come on, let us through!" "We need to get home!" "What's the hold up?!" They shouted and grumbled.

"I'll have you all know that A CRIME may have possibly occured here!" Megure announced quite loudly as he descended the stairs into the station, followed by the others.

"Whatever! Just figure out what happened so we can get back home! We're freezing our asses off out here!" A bulky looking fellow protested in an irritated voice.

Ignoring him, the investigators made their way to a bodybag laying near some witnesses and forensics team members. Conan began to follow them, but Ran pulled

"So, how was Mr. Bennett discovered to have fallen onto the tracks?" Megure asked.

"I saw it. He was standing right beside my wife and I. He.. He just seemed to tip forward.. Not even moving a muscle.." A young looking man replied, his pretty and frightened wife huddled beside him.

"And who was the one who identified the victim?" Quiried Megure, looking around.

"I did, sir..." A tall, rather sad looking foreigner with a bushy brown mustache replied, stepping forward. Before getting close to Megure and lowering his voice. "I'm Agent Anthony Doyle of the FBI."

"HUH?! FBI?!" Megure blurted out.

"Shh! Not so loud! Our presence here is not to be known!" Agent Doyle hushed him furiously with a panicked expression. Suspicious murmurs were already going on in the crowd nearest them.

[Dammit, Megure..] Conan thought with a groan, slapping his forehead. The investigators around him looked somewhat surprised, yet Amuro looked basically indifferent, almost annoyed..

"Ah, Sorry. My apologies.." Megure said in a quieter voice, clearing his throat.

"We can affirm this." Black asserted, walking forward.

"Of course you can.." Megure replied somewhat wearily.

"Tony, what the Hell happened to Bennett?" Andre asked with urgency.

"I don't know, Camel.. I was just supposed to get on the train with him, but by the time I got here, his body had just been pulled off the tracks!" Doyle explained, much emotional pain evident in his face.

"And when did Mr. Bennett contact you?" Megure asked.

"This morning, by text, It was the last time I heard from him.." Doyle answered.

"What would possess Tony to do such a thing..?" Andre asked.

"I.. I think it may have had to do with the Haido Hospital incident.." Doyle said, his head now lowered.

[HUH?!] Conan thought with surprise. A wide eyed look of concern on his face.

"What? What are you talking about..?" Megure demanded.

James then placed his hand on the Inspector's shoulder and informed him cautiously "Inspector, this is a classified matter.."

"I'll have you know that this "Classified Matter" concerns my juristiction!" Megure objected angrily.

"And it is also a matter which concerns a great amount of subtle investigation.." James replied, becoming somewhat more firm.

Megure then took a deep, frustrated breath, before grunting "Just do what you need to do so that we can get on with our work.."

"Thank you." James said with a brisk nod.

"So, anyway, Tony. Bennett was on the team that was supposed to transfer the "sample back to the factory", right?" Camel asked covertly, careful to use code lingo.

However, Conan knew full well what they were referring to. [So.. This guy was one of the Agents that Akai entrusted to get the undercover double agent for the CIA, Hidemi Hondo, back into the Org.] He thought.

"Yes.." Tony replied somewhat somberly. "When one of the other managers got sick from it, he felt so guilty.. He.. He had actually started to say that he'd wanted wanted to die, himself."

"Huh? So, this could have been a suicide?" Megure asked with urgency.

[He must have felt guilty after Kir was forced to kill Akai..] Conan pondered even more intensely. [But why would this suicidal man ask to ride the subway with his friend, when he'd planned to kill himself..?]

Megure then turned his attention back to the crowd. "Just out of curiosity, was this foreigner standing alone while he waited for the train?" He asked.

"No, actually. He came along with a very strange man dressed in what looked like skiing gear." The young husband replied.

[Hmm!] Conan thought, his face and thoughts leaping to attention.

The investigators thought the same way. "What did this man look like?!" He demanded.

"I.. I really don't know. His head was covered by a black wool knit cap, his face by a grey scarf, and his eyes by sunglasses." The witness explained. "Other than that, he was just dressed in black snow gear."

"AH! BLACK?!" Conan suddenly exclaimed out loud. Practically all present looked at him curiously.

[DAMN!] Conan realized with embarrassment, and quickly adopted a nervous, childlike expression. "Uh.. He.. He sounds really scary.."

"Just as I thought! There must be something sinister going on.." Megure remarked.

[Exactly, Megure.. Much more sinister than you think..] Conan thought with conviction.

"How were these people acting together?" Megure continued interrogating.

"Well.. The man in the ski gear was looking around a little nervously.. and shifting on his feet.. But the foreigner was standing stiff and calm.. Totally unmoving. Although he was sweating really bad.. He must have been nervous as well.. But he still didn't move.. Almost as if he had been turned to stone.." The witness explained. "A few minutes later, the man in ski gear walked away from the platform, leaving the foreigner there. A little while later, he fell onto the tracks.."

Conan thought in realization, [What's going on, here?!]

"Inspector!" Detective Chiba announced, walking towards the team with a young woman wearing a uniform. "This woman is one of the ticket takers for the subway.. She claims to have sold the deceased man his ticket!"

"WHAT?!" Was the disbelieving shout of the crowd to many degrees.

"You mean that the deceased foreigner actually bought a ticket to the subway from you?!" Megure rushed up to her and asked.

"Yes.." The woman, who seemed to be in her twenties, and longish black hair done up in a bun, replied somewhat nervously at Megure's rushed manner. "He was identical to the photo that this Detective showed me and was dressed in the same way as.. As the body they had found was described.."

[Something's not right here..] Conan thought deeply as he ground his teeth with concentration.

"What was the general air of his behavior, Ma'am? How did he seem to appear?" Megure asked.

"He.. He seemed very withdrawn and inattentive, as if he were in a hurry.. I'm normally used to it all the time, so I didn't think too much about it.." The ticket woman explained.

"How long ago prior to the approximate time of the gentleman's death did you sell him the ticket?" Megure asked.

"Oh, not long at all.. About, 15 minutes, I'd say.." The woman answered.

"Ma'am.. May we please have access to the security footage from that time frame?!" Megure requested, becoming much more frantic.

"Well.. That's the problem.. There seems to have been some sort of electrical interference with the tape. It had been reported to me by one of the technicians that all of the security camera feeds in the station had suddenly gone black!" The woman explained somewhat hesitantly..

"WHAT?!" Megure asked in surprise.

Conan was now in full precaution mode. His eyes furrowed. His mind racing. [YES.. It all makes sense now... All of the secretive, mysterious goings on.. This is no amateur job, that coupled with the profession and position of this foreigner, leaves no doubt that this is THEIR work.. But how can I manage to solve the job of a crime organization whose goal is to leave no trace of themselves behind?!]

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	7. Chapter 7

Conan continued to mentally plan things out in his head. This was definately the work of the Org. But how should he go about revealing it as he investigated it? The Police and Detectives were absolutely out. He couldn't risk them knowing anything yet, not until he had more info on them. This would have to be an FBI clean-up. Now, came the actual investigation. But how would he get away from Ran? He had an idea. A little risky.. But it would have to do.

He looked up. Yes, Amuro was looking at his phone, Ran was looking in another direction. He gave a quick look up to James. The Agent caught the hint with a smirk and turned to Ran, asking innocently "Excuse me, Miss Mouri, but would you happen to have a handerchief I could borrow? I need to give my glasses a quick cleaning."

"Huh? Oh, uh, yes, of course!" Ran replied in a somewhat distracted manner, reaching into her uniform jacket, and taking a handerchief out.

Seizing the opportunity, Conan then sneaked off towards the crowd of officers and witnesses. "Excuse me, Ma'am." He asked the ticket woman in the manner of a child "When the man Inspector Megure talked about bought a ticket, was he with anybody?"

"Uh.. No.. He was all by himself." The young lady responded, legitimately collecting her thoughts.

[Hmm.. Okay.. Better try another witness..] Conan thought somewhat annoyed, before turning to the young couple and asking. "Excuse me, sir. How tall was the man who was going to go skiing, who was standing with the man who was sweating?"

"Oh.. He was around my height, I'd suppose. Maybe a little taller. I don't know. He was wearing boots, I think." He responded.

[Nothing I can work with so far.. Not too surprising.] Conan evaluated grimly. Suddenly, an idea came to him, and he inquired "Did the man who was sweating look like he was nervous? Were his eyes moving side to side?"

"Why.. No.. In fact his eyes weren't moving at all. They were glazed as if he were made of stone or something." The man recalled.

"AH!" Conan exclaimed. While thinking [Made of stone? Just like what Medusa, that snake haired woman from Greek mythology was able to do!]

"Something wrong?" The man asked

"Uh.. No... I just.." Conan began to attempt to explain nervously.

"CONAN!" Ran angrily called from behind him. "I thought I told you not to wander away from me!" The perturbed girl chastised, looming over him.

"I..I was just seeing when the next train was coming!" Conan said, thinking quickly.

"You can see those some other time! Come on!" Ran admonished, pulling him roughly away from the crowd.

Just as he was about to object, Conan spotted a somewhat sizeable puddle of water on the platform. "Huh?" He thought aloud as he was dragged back to his previous location. [Water? Could that have been.. Maybe the victim hadn't been sweating at all.. Maybe he had been.. But.. But how could that have been so? Especially if he had been well enough to purchase a ticket fifteen minutes beforehand.. However, if this is the Org. We're talking about, there's always the possibility..]

That's when he came upon the realization [OF COURSE! That's got to be it! Question is, how can I let the police know without getting them in trouble?] He reflected fiercely. He then looked up to see Jodie leaning over him with a concerned expression.

"Please.. Cool Guy.. Tell me that you've figured it out.." She pleaded quietly, her face attempting to conceal her pain.

Conan, his face adamant, gave a nod of his head. "Absolutely.. Just play along.." He covertly replied, before quickly whispering in her ear.

Jodie nodded affirmitively and took him by the hand in a maternal way, before turning saying "Um, Ran, dear, Conan and I have to use the restroom. Please excuse us." In a subdued voice.

"O..Okay.." Ran replied somewhat uncertainly.

Amuro looked off in an alerted fashion. A warm, knowing smile crossed his lips.

"AH! So THAT'S how they did it?" Jodie exclaimed in a solitary hallway.

"SHH!" Conan shushed her in an irked fashion. As Jodie clapsed her hand over her mouth.

"Yes. And I need you to do the explanation for me. That way, the Police won't get so suspicious that they'll get into danger!" Conan explained.

"O..Okay.." Jodie replied somewhat hesitantly, before adopting a steadfast expression. "I'll do it for Bennett and.. And for Shu..." She declared.

As the two made their way back out to the platform, Conan gave a clandestine smile to Jodie as he walked back over to Ran who looked at him with an annoyed expression.

Jodie, mustering the best of her acting abilities, casually trotted over to the scene of the invesitagtion, and looked over at the puddle of water with as much of a "deducing face" as she could muster.

"Uh.. Excuse me, Miss Jodie.. May we help you with something..?" Megure asked with a hint of curiosity and aggrivation.

Jodie briefly chuckled to herself, before looking up with an assertive expression answered with dramatic flair "Actually, Megure, I was wondering if I might be able to help all of you.."

"Huh..?" All of the Detectives asked curiously.

"What are you getting at, Miss Jodie?" Sato questioned with fervor.

"What I'm getting at.. Is I.. HAVE SOLVED THE CASE!" Jodie announced with passionate certainty.

"WHAT?!" The Detectives all shouted in unison.

"Shh! Please! This is a very confidential matter that concerns a case we're investigating. I'll need to reveal this to you in the strictist confidence." Jodie cautioned them. Then, upon noticing the curious mumblings amongst the crowd, she added "Somewhere where we can't be heard.."

"Listen, Miss Jodie, I appreciate the need for you to protect your interests, but you must understand that we have an obligation to our city, as this is really our territory!" Megure said in a very authoritive manner.

"I understand Inspector, but YOU must understand that this matter we're investigating concerns BOTH of our territories.. And could mean terrible consequences for both.." Jodie made herself clear in as quiet as a voice as possible.

Megure seemed to chew this over, before reluctantly stating "Okay.. We can all go discuss it over there.." Subtely indicating to an unoccupied area of the station.

"Conan! Look over there! Do you think Miss Jodie has this case figured out?!" Ran asked in an astonished way.

Conan just kept a juvenile expression, replying "I hope so!"

Amuro simply kept staring with an impressed expression in Conan's direction.

Now in their isolated space, Megure pressured. "Okay, Miss Jodie. Just what exactly happened here anyway?"

"Yes, how did Mr. Bennett happen to die and be propped up like that in that short of time?" Sato added.

Jodie only stared back with a sobering expression and revealed bluntly "He hadn't been. He had actually been dead since the previous evening!"

"What?! How is that possible? I mean.. His being at the ticket counter.. The text message.." Megure attempted to reason.

"That message must have been composed by the victim last evening, who was then distracted and murdered by the party responsible. they then must have placed him in a freezer or cooler chest large enough to accomodate a human body and powerful enough to freeze him at such a frigid temperature that he would appear stiff and upright, yet controlled enough that frostbite would not set in!" Jodie explained clear and succiently.

"Ah! I get it now! His "sweating" must have actually been his body defrosting, as the cold temperature in the station was still not cold enough to maintain freezing." Sato said with realization.

"Correct. All that was left to do was to have an accomplice carry him to the platform close to the tracks, and wait for nature's temperature to melt him sufficiently. Some natural blocks of ice may have been added to the fronts of the shoes to insure he would not tip over until the appointed time. The people responsible had most likely monitered Bennett, and were aware of his possible suicidal thoughts. This way.. They figured this would make his death believable enough to buy them some time, so they sent the message as they prepared to extract him from his chamber." Jodie continued, some sorrowful emotion and righteous anger now beginning to seep into her voice.

"But, wait. That still doesn't explain how that guy in the ski gear could get him past the ticket counter without being noticed! And what about Bennett himself being spotted alive at the ticket counter like that!" Takagi interjected.

"Pretty simple to someone like myself who is familiar with them. The man in ski attire most likely carried the stiff body in a large duffel bag, possibly passing them off as his skiing equipment. The ticket man was most likely gullible enough to allow it. Once he had been made aware that the security monitors had been tampered with by an accomplice, he retreated to a location where he'd be blocked from view, extracted the body, and maneuevered along with him so that passersby might believe he was assisting a hungover friend. As for the living Mr. Bennett, it was most likely another accomplice who.." Jodie began to continue, before pausing cautiously, deciding not to in fact reveal what seemed to actually have been the case, for the Police's protection. "Who beared enough of a resemblance to the deceased to where he could successfully conflict with the events at hand. With the monitors still on the fritz, he would have no genuine problem exiting the station on the other side.." Jodie concluded in a very striking, grounded way.

Quite frankly, the detectives were speechless.

"Uh.. Quite impressive, Miss Jodie.." Megure admitted, keeping his gruff demeanor. "Very well, then. We'll wrap up the inestigation here and leave the rest up to you and.. Your team.." He added, making it clear that he did not approve.

Jodie heaved a great heavy sigh before replying "Thank you, Inspector.." in a very daunted way. Her eyes then looked up with caution as she then reminded them "But remember.. Not a WORD about the culprits gets out to the press.. This is a delicate and ACTIVE investigation!" She stressed.

Megure remained obstinant, Chiba and Takagi looked at each other, disquieted. However, Sato stared at Jodie adamantly, giving her a firm, reassuring grip on her shoulder, her eyes beginning to water "Don't worry, Miss Jodie.. We will.. I.. I know how it is to lose those whom you are close to.." She imparted in a sad but controlled voice.

Jodie, beginning to tear up herself, simply nodded affirmatively.

As the team left their spot of seclusion, the detectives gathered together on the platform, Megure began announcing about the case's resolution to the relieved and annoyed crowd. Meanwhile, a very tired and sad looking Jodie made her way back to where the others were standing.

"Wow! Miss Jodie! You solved that case so quickly! You were amazing!" Ran said with exhuberant admiration.

"Yeah, you were great!" Conan added as childishly as possible.

"Thank you, Ran and Conan..." Jodie replied, still somewhat reserved.  
"Jodie..  
Are you going to be all right?" Andre asked with concern.

"I'll.. I'll be fine, Camel.." Jodie responded rather unconvingly.

"Well, Miss Jodie, that was some amazing detective work. I'm very impressed with your skills!" Amuro complimented, before stating "I hope to see you again sometime, and I'm just sorry we couldn't have met under more pleasant circumstances.."

"Thank you, Mr. Amuro.." Jodie replied in a very standoffish way.

"Come, now, Jodie, I'll take you back to your apartment.." James warmly assured her.

"Thank you, James.." Jodie replied softly.

The older agent then leaned in closer and whispered "Are you certain that you still wish to leave?"

"I.. I don't know any more.. I.. I may need a few days to think about it.." She answered in a hushed voice. "I.. I just can't stand to see any more of my friends cut down like this.."

"We must be going now, Miss Mori. Miss Jodie needs her rest.." James informed the young lady.

Ran adopted a concerned expression, before responding "Oh.. Alright. Goodbye, Miss Jodie, Mr. Black, and Mr. Camel. It was wonderful seeing you all."

Conan then waved enthusiastically, saying very energetically "Goodbye, everybody!" Before becoming very encouraging while staring at the weary looking female FBI agent, saying "Goodbye, Miss Jodie! Please don't give up!"

Jodie, understanding, looked back with a somewhat relieved smile and a nod of her head.

Amuro then made it a point to begin to walk away, turning to the two, saying cheerfully "Well, I'd better be getting along as well.. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Mori.." Before looking down at Conan with a sly smile and another wink of his eye "And you as well, Cool Guy.."

Conan's eyes and mouth widened with surprise as the young man waltzed off.

"My, Conan, that Cool Guy nickname is getting pretty popular, isn't it?" She asked cheerfully. Conan didn't bother to answer.

Sato then walked up to the two and said almost apologetically "Listen, if the both of you don't have a ride, I could drive the both of you home, as soon as we're finished here. Don't worry, it shouldn't be long!"

"Thank you, Detective Sato!" Ran replied warmly. Then, as she walked back to the other detectives, Ran then turned to Conan and asked "Say, Conan, didn't Mr. Amuro remind you of anyone?"

Conan then began to adopt a narrow eyed, jealous expression "Oh, you mean Shinichi, right?" He asked somewhat resentfully.

"No..." Ran replied somewhat distantly. "His craftyness.. This mysterious sense about him.. It's like that FBI man with the knit cap who died at the Reiha Pass recently.. Shuichi Akai.." She explained, with an uncertain frown.

[HUH?!] Conan wondered in his thoughts even more confused and worried than before.

Agent Bennett, walked at somewhat an even pace down the Beika sidewalk, strangely enough very much alive, seemed to increase his speed as he attached the curious sight of a foreign car, a black German Porsche 356A, to be exact, sat idling by the curb. He quickly entered the backseat, and the car abruptly took off and entered the flow of traffic.

Gin, the frightening looking, long haired member of the Org. broodingly looked towards the backseat passenger as he casually puffed on a cigarette. "Very risky.. Pretty stupid too, if you don't mind my adding.." He growled disdainfully.

Bennett just chuckled to himself, before replying in a very familiar, seductive female voice.. "Hey, we worked with what we had.." Before he took hold of the bottom of his neck and pulled his face aside, to reveal the sight of the gorgeous female agent, Vermouth under the mask! "After all, we didn't leave any trace, and besides, our associate was heavily disguised, to where no one could even tell what pigment their skin was."

"Yeah, but that damn Bourbon is too much like you.. Too willing to take risks.. You both are lucky we were able to jam the security frequency long enough." Gin glared at her with a death stare from his seemingly lifeless, hate filled eyes.

"Now.. Now.. Careful, Gin.. The Boss said that Bourbon is most apt to be our key to getting at the FBI.." Vemouth maternally reprimanded.

"And didn't Bourbon doubt that Akai FBI guy was dead? Something about Bourbon being the only one who could kill him.." Vodka, the short and stumpy sunglasses agent wondered aloud as he steered.

"Psh.. Bourbon's full of it.. We both saw him die, remember..? There is no more of the so called, "Silver Bullet"!" Gin concluded coldly with a psychotic grin.

"I suppose you're right.." Vermouth said resignedly.. Before inwardly taunting with an arrogant smirk, the image of Conan in her thoughts.. [Assuming Akai WAS the Silver Bullet..]

TO BE CONTINUED...  



	8. Chapter 8

"Remember, Dad, the tournament is tonight, TONIGHT, at 7:30!" Ran Mori testily clarified as she had just finished stuffing her spotless white karate gi into her spare clothes bag.

"Right.. I'll be there.." Kogoro mumbled non-noncommitily, his gaze focused on the TV in his Detective Agency/Apartment, before exploding into an enthusiastic cheer "YEAH! YOKO, You're the best!"

Conan Edogawa shifted a pitying side glance to the shameful site, thinking snidely [You'd think he'd never read the latest news about her dating that young record executive.]

"Oh, Dad..?" Came the deceptively sweet call of Ran's voice. Just as Kogoro began to turn his head.. [WHAMMMM!] Her fist crashed through the table with the strength of a jackhammer! Kogoro leaped so high in surprise that his head nearly smashed through the ceiling eight feet above him!

"As I was SAYING.." She continued with a cross expression, before adopting as cheerful as disposition as could be. "Remember.. It's at 7:30!" She reminded him with a sugar coated voice.

Kogoro could only nod dumbly, his mouth agape.

Ran then turned to Conan in the same perky way. "Hope to see you there, Conan!" And without waiting for an answer, she did an about face and began trotting for the door.

Conan could only look off at her in a shaky, gunshy fashion. [Heh.. Don't think I have much of a choice..] He remarked to himself.

"..And then you can FLIP him right onto his back!" Ran's classmate Sonoko Suzuki exclaimed enthusiastically as the two walked through the bustling city on their way to school, miming the motions of a textbook karate takedown.

"Please, Sonoko! People are staring!" Ran chided her friend as the two approached a crosswalk. "Besides, I'll only have to do something like that if my opponent moves a certain way!"

Sonoko just sighed impatiently as the two stopped to wait with the small crowd who'd also gathered, waiting to cross the street. "I just hope you aren't getting out of practice.." She remarked snidely.

'Nonsense! There's a tournament tonight, of course I've been.." Ran began to retort, before her blood ran cold with fright at the sensation that her behind had just been purposefully fondled by a hand behind her! Ran quickly snapped her head behind her.. THERE HE WAS! A somewhat thin, shady looking young man with shaggy necklength black hair, a black jean jacket, and a black fedora which obscured his eyes. Ran's face light up with righteous fire, as she, keeping the rest of the crowd in mind, spun around with lightning fast precision, and with a growl of effort and anger, executed a high kick towards the suspect's face! In the blink of an eye, and with a quick smirk on his lips, he brought up his forearm which blocked it just in time! The crowd moved out of the way immediately as a disbelieving Ran jumped back defensively, and the young man bolted towards her, elbow first, driving her further back, at the same time, before attempting a sudden leg sweep, which Ran immediately lept over as though she were skipping rope back in Kindergarten! She then suddenly attempted to strike the boy directly in his face, when he stopped it in mid air with his hand, and amazing strength!

"WHOA, Baby! That's enough of a demonstration, I'd say! Besides, You've got the wrong guy!" The boy objected with a slightly deep, cool and collected voice. Raising his head to reveal quite kindly looking brown eyes under the brim of his hat.

Ran was dumbfounded. "But.. But you were RIGHT behind me!" She objected.

The boy chuckled to himself somewhat arrogantly "True.. But.." He admitted, as he reached behind him towards the crowd, before taking a scrawny teenager with glasses rougly by the arm and yanking him forward. "HERE'S the boy you want!"

The two girls, as well as most of the crowd were speechless. "H..How do you know that?! Did you see him?"

"Didn't have to. His body language and position gave it away." The boy explained. "You see He was positioned about 15 degrees in front of me to my right. If I had put my hand forward to.. Do what he did, I'd have to do some pretty shifty manuevering around him, which a some in the crowd would most certainly have noticed. In addition, moments before the incident, he was trying his best to subtley look around, checking for witnesses, then, right after the act, he sidestepped out of the way to let ME take the fall.. Didn't you pal?" He concluded with a sense of slight aggression, taking the bespectacled student by the lapels.

"I.. I'm sorry.. I couldn't help myself.." The culprit softly mumbled to himself.

"She's the one you harrassed! Tell her!" The boy reprimanded, putting the groper's arm behind his back forcefully.

"I..I'm sorry..." The student said with great shame.

Ran remained silent with an angry expression on her face.

"Go ahead, Ran! Give him a roundhouse kick!" Sonoko encouraged with a mischievous expression.

"Ah, get out of here!" The heroic boy dersively ordered , turning the culprit loose.

"Yes, sir!" He shrieked and rushed off down the crosswalk, nearly being hit by a car or two, without bothering to look either way.

The crowd instantly burst into applause and smiles. The mysterious boy acknowleged this with a slight smile and nod.

"Well, thank you, sir." Ran said with an appreciative smile, before asking "What's your name?"

"My name isn't important. What matters is that you're out of trouble." The boy responded.

"Those were some AMAZING moves, man! As you could see, Ran's really good at Karate too!" Sonoko said enthusiastically.

"Thanks, but that wasn't Karate. It was Jeet Kune Do." The boy corrected her.

"Huh? Isn't that the martial art invented by Bruce Lee?" Ran asked slightly confused.

"Yes, it means "Way of the Intercepting Fist". In this sport, you let your opponent determine your next move and intercept each one according to what they do." The boy explained.

"You know, Ran, this boy is really cute and he seems to be a great detective as well as a martial artist! Maybe he should be your new boyfriend!" Sonoko teased in as unsubtlely as possible.

"SONOKO!" Ran admonished with a deep blush.

"A boyfriend, huh? What happened? Did your old one break up with you, or something?" The boy pried.

"AH! N..No! That is.." Ran stammered as she tried to explain, her whole face now practically turning red.

"Her old one is this famous detective, but he's overseas solving a big case right now!" Sonoko very rudely butted in with a giddy look on her face.

"Hmm.. Really? That's too bad, seeing as how he's probably not as great a detective as I. Besides.." The boy haughtily asserted, before moving his face very close to Ran's, until they were practically touching. "..You're much more MY type, anyway.." He whispered in a very amorous way.

"WHAT?!" Ran exclaimed in an embarrassed and insulted fashion. "For your information, I don't WANT a new boyfriend and my Karate could beat your stupid Jeet Kune Do any day!" She shouted, before grabbing hold of Sonoko and making her way across the street. "Come on, Sonoko!"

"W.. Wait!" Her friend objected with surprise.

The mysterious boy only stared off at the two with a smile that could either be taken as intrigued.. Or sinister..

"So, what do you plan on doing after school before the tournament, Ran?" Sonoko asked Ran at the shoe lockers, as Ran was preparing to put her school shoes on.

"Practice of course. It never hurts to be prepared." Ran responded.

"Really? Are you sure you won't be too tired?" Sonoko quiried.

"Of course not! You're talking like I'm.." Ran began to object, only to be inturrupted by the sound of a loud shout.

"YOU BASTARD! You wanna get knocked out before the tournament?!" Came the familiar irate shout of Kosuke Inoue, a large, chunky, 3rd year bully with a mess of short hair atop his head, who was also quite the formidable adversary in the heavyweight division, as well as a gang leader.

"I can't help it if you look like you should be in a sumo thong instead of a gi, lard ass!" Soji Oshiro, another 3rd year heavyweight, countered with much venom. Soji had more of a lean, muscular build, as well as a hardlined rivalry with Kosuke.

"RRRGGH!" Kosuke growled as if he were passing a gall stone, before slamming the side of his fist at the locker nearest Soji's head, leaving a small imprint, Soji barely even flinched.

The girls gasped in surprise!

"Go ahead, ape, you don't scare me!" Soji continued laying it on.

"You SON OF A.." Kosuke roared, cocking his fist back.

"KOSUKE, WAIT! STOP!" Yoshi Isobe, a scrawny mop topped friend of Kosuke jumped in front of him, comically trying in vain to hold him back. "You want to stay focused for the tournament tonight, right?"

There was a silent beat as the two rivals glared odiously at one another. Finally, Kosuke broke the quiet. "I need to check my insulin levels, besides, you're not worth it!" As he regretfully turned his back, before turning his head back with a sneer, saying "Besides, you wouldn't want anything to happen to Uta, would you?"

"Don't you DARE lay a frigging hand on my SISTER!" Soji fired back with ferocious intensity.

Kosuke chuckled, and then he and Yoshi walked off. As Soji stood there grinding his teeth, Ran and Sonoko exchanged worried looks.

"Alright, class, please settle down." The English teacher for Ran's class, a middle aged, balding sixtyish foreigner with a pretty competant grasp on Japanese announced to the room. There was immediate obedient silence.

"Today, I'd like to announce that we have a new addition to our class today. An exchange student. Please make him feel welcome." He explained. Just as the door slid open, Ran and Sonoko's breath just about caught in their throats, their eyes as wide as could be.. For standing in the doorway, now dressed in the prim school uniform, was the scruffy haired boy from the crosswalk!

"Why, hello everyone! My name is Hiroki Sera! Pleased to meet you all!" He greeted the class as cheerfully as could be, before lowering his eyes to Ran and Sonoko. "The ones I haven't already met, that is..."

TO BE CONTINUED...  



	9. Chapter 9

Ran and Sonoko could simply not believe their eyes! What was this boy doing here now?

"Mr. Sera, you may have a seat here in the front." The English teacher said, indicating to a chair and desk near the right close to the door.

"Thank you, sir!" Hiroki replied very cheerful and respectfully, before making his way over to his desk and sitting down. He made it a point to sit up straight and look ahead at the teacher. To Ran it looked as artificial as could be.

[Something's very strange about this boy!] She thought to herself with a troubled expression..

"Man, how much of a coincidence was it that we just happened to run into that boy before he joined our class?" Sonoko asked Ran in a rather aloof way as the two girls walked down the hallway together.

"That's the thing, Sonoko.. I think it was too much of a coincidence.. I think that.." Ran began to voice her suspicions, just before hearing footsteps from behind them approaching rapidly.

"Excuse me, you two! Please!" Came a familiar voice.

"Oh, no.." Ran groaned inwardly.

Sure enough, Hiroki rushed up to the two with a puzzled expression on his face. "Hey, guys, you two walked away before I could explain myself." He said in an almost apologetic way. "I'm sorry for showing off back there and not letting you guys know I'd be transferring to your school today, I must have spooked the both of you. Who would've thought we'd end up in the same class?"

"Yeah, real small world." Ran replied just as coldly and suspiciously as before.

"Oh, please, I mean it, I'm not following you guys on purpose or anything. I just happened to move here last week. You see, I have my own reasons for being here.." Hiroki began to explain, his voice trailing off.

"Huh?" Both girls asked with confusion and curiosity.

"You see.. My older brother was murdered in this town.." He began to explain softly and sadly with a distant look.

"WHAT?!" The girls asked out loud with disbelief.

"SHH! Not so loud!" He warned them.

The girls obiediently clapsed their hands over their mouths, blushes of embarrassment on their faces.

"You see, I've lived overseas most of my life.. My brother was the one who taught me this detective stuff, as well as martial arts, which got me into Jeet Kune Do. Then, a few months ago, he came out here on business, and a few weeks ago, my family had been informed that he'd been killed on the job.." He continued to explain, coming very close to tears.

"I..I'm.. I'm so sorry, Hiroki.." Ran said with an ashamed tone. Sonoko remained bashfully silent.

"It's okay.. You didn't know.." Hiroki assured them, before continuing in a more dutiful voice "I'd always suspected that there was more to his death than met the eye, though, so I decided to come to Japan to check things out, using the detective skills he taught me.."

"Wow.." Ran stated with awe.

"Hey, I've got an idea! Ran's detective boyfriend, Shin..ACK!" Sonoko began to suggest rather emphatically, before Ran slapped her hand the girl's back, nearly knocking the wind out of her!

"ShinZO! That's right, Sonoko! My detective boyfriend Shinzo could text me if he knows anything!" Ran interrupted before breaking into nervous laughter. Sonoko just shot an irritated glare over to her.

"Perhaps!" Hiroki replied with a polite smile, before making his way past them. "Well, I've got to be going. Talk to you tonight at the tournament. Good luck!" He declared pleasantly, before jogging off.

"Thank you!" Ran replied.

"Hey.. What was the meaning of slapping me on the back like that..?" Sonoko groaned.

"BECAUSE.. I didn't want you telling that strange boy Shinichi's name.. I don't exactly trust him.." Ran replied with a harsh whisper, as she looked off at the retreating figure.

An effective strike to the base of the neck and [BANG] Ran's hapless opponent hit the mat like a sack of wet cement on the blue mat beneath them. After a second or two of him not moving, the match was called in favor of Ran. The crowd applauded, except for Conan and Kogoro sitting in the auditorium's bleachers with grim, bored expressions. They had seen this many times before firsthand.

Ran, being the good sport that she was, helped the officials get the young man to his feet and make sure he was alright, before putting a towel around her shoulders and heading to the back of the room, near the lockers. Conan and Kogoro immediately got up and walked down to follow her.

"Ran!" Kogoro called out as he approached her.

"Huh?" Ran asked, looking back, her hair tied up in a ponytail.

"Get ready to go home. After you get cleaned up, we're outta here." Kogoro said sourly with a glum expression.

"Actually, Dad.. I'd like to stay and watch the rest of the tournament.. So.." Ran said with an air of polite disagreement, as she took hold of the cement doorway, and gripped it so hard that she broke a chunk off effortlessly as she stared at them with a deceptively good natured smile "We're ALL staying! Okay?"

The two then stared in sudden fright, before lowering their heads with frustration.

"I'm SO SORRY I let her take those lessons.." Kogoro mumbled to himself.

[You said a mouthful, old man..] Conan inwardly concurred as Ran confidently made her way off to the showers.

Moments later, as Ran walked through the locker area, she walked past the boys section as Kosuke was roaring with laughter while stating maliciously "Let's just say he won't know what hit him!" as the group of rough boys around him chuckled.

[Hmm.. It's that Kosuke jerk again..] She thought with aggravation.

Suddenly, Soji, trim and muscular as ever, walked diligently past the gaggle of delinquints in his gi, as he prepared to enter the auditorium.

"Hey, Soji, ready to go down?!" The slovenly bully called out. However, the athletic young man did not interrupt his stride, as if he had not heard.

"HEY! I'M TALKIN' TO YOU!" Kosuke called out furiously at the top of his lungs.

"Ah, forget him, Kosuke! Just keep thinking about what you're going to do to him once you get him out on that mat!" Yoshi, his mosquito of a friend encouraged him.

"Heh! Thanks for reminding me!" The hulking creep said with a crooked grin. "You guys wait out there for me. I'm feelin' a little down, and I gotta take a hit of insulin." He then explained as he rose and headed off in the direction of the hallway that lead to the bathrooms.

Ran simply adopted a look of distate and continued her walk to the showers.

"Well, if anything, these next matches are in the heavyweight division, so it should be a little more entertaining.." Kogoro grumbled to herself as he and Conan sat up in the stands.

Soji stood near the mat as he prepared for the match to begin, the referee turned to him somewhat impatiantly and asked "Where the hell is Inoue?"

"Getting his shot of.." Soji began to say somewhat prejudiced, before being cut off.

"AAAAAAAAAAH!" Came the loud, horrified shriek of a girl from out in the hallway.

"What the hell was that?!" The referee shouted as well as the general concensus of the crowd.

Without a second thought, Kogoro, a dutiful look on his face, leaped from his seat and towards the hall, Conan close behind.

Kogoro bolted down the hallway of the school, to see a teenage girl on her bottom sitting outside the men's room with a petrified expression.

"Ma'am! Ma'am, what's wrong?!" Kogoro asked fervently.

The young lady, her hair in a short brown bowl cut, the traumatized expression still on her face, stayed still and unmoving. Kogoro looked ahead of her into the restroom, a look of terror came across his face. For sprawled on the floor of the bathroom was the obviously deceased body of a young quite corpulant young man in a karate gi, his eyes rolled up in his head, foam emitting from his mouth, and a needle stuck in his arm!

"Dear Lord! A narcotics overdose!" Kogoro exclaimed.

"No.. He.. He was diabetic.. He was probably going into shock.." The girl explained, beginning to regain her voice, though still very shaken up.

"Huh..? Did you know that boy, Ma'am?" Kogoro asked.

After much sniffling, tears in her eyes, the girl said "He.. He was my boyfriend.."

"Well.. I suppose he was too late in the middle of his attack to save his own life.." Kogoro estimated grimly.

"Hmm.. I don't think so.." Conan suddenly spoke up, rubbing his chin curiously, a look of concentration on his face.

"What?! Who asked you, Conan?!" Kogoro replied aggresively.

"Look, Mr. Mori. He has foam coming from his mouth. That doesn't happen when one goes into diabetic shock." Conan explained very seriously, pointing towards the body.

"Huh?!" Kogoro asked in a confused fashion.

"The boy's right." Came a voice from behind them. All looked back to see Hiroki back in his street clothes.

"Who the Hell are you?!" Kogoro demanded.

[I'm wondering the exact same thing!] Conan thought with surprise and disbelief.

Ignoring him the boy boldly walked into the bathroom and kneeled beside the body, carefully examining it.

"Kid, you're going to be in big trouble! That may be an active crime scene!" Kogoro roared indignantly.

After a short beat, the boy turned his head back towards them and replied softly "You're right. It is.."

"HUH?!" All three asked, their faces aghast.

"You see. This needle is already halfway injected into the bloodstream, in addition to the foam emitting from his mouth, there is the heavy scent of almonds detected in his airway as well.." The boy revealed, before concluding "That wasn't insulin in that needle.. It was cyanide! This boy was MURDERED!"

TO BE CONTINUED...  



	10. Chapter 10

"The victim is 17 year old Teitan student, Kosuke Inoue. Cause of death, cyanide poisoning via a hypodermic needle normally used to treat the victim's diabetic condition.." Inspector Megure grimly read out loud in front of the reposed desceased in the middle of the school restroom. Detectives Takagi and Sato stood vigilantly beside him, making a general assesment of the area. By now, a large crowd had gathered out in the hallway, nessesitating a team of Officers to hold them back.

"Now, who was it that discovered the body?" Megure asked in his usual gruff manner.

"I.. I did.." The girl replied meekly and reluctantly.

"You knew the victim?" Megure asked.

The girl seemed to pause, looking fearfully up at Soji, her brother, who glared angrily at her, as if telepathically commanding [Don't even think about it..]

"Uh.. W.. Well, I.." The girl stammered nervously.

"She identified herself as the victim's boyfriend." Kogoro broke in.

"Is that true, Ma'am?" Megure needled, walking closer to the girl.

"Y..Yes.." The girl replied just a fraction above a whisper. "My name is Uta Oshiro, and I'm a first year student here.. Kosuke and I had dated for a while.."

[So terrible.. That poor girl..] Ran thought to herself, filled with emotion.

"And you were throwing your life away!" Soji shouted at Uta fiercely.

"And who are you?!" Megure asked aggresively.

"I'm Soji! Her brother!" He informed the Inspector.

"Were you aquainted in any way with the victim?" Megure asked suspiciously.

"Grr.." The young man growled "That... BASTARD put his meaty thug paws all over my sister! Forcing her into things she didn't want to do... Putting her in danger on MULTIPLE occasions! I'm only sorry I didn't get to kick his ass in the tournament!"

"Hmm.." The Inspector hummed as he glowered at the angry young man suspiciously. "Would you have any idea who else would have any ill will towards Mr. Inoue?" He asked.

"How should I know? He had lots of enemies! He was a delinquent!" Soji replied defensively. "Hell, maybe he knew I would humiliate him in front of everyone, so he killed himself!"

"THAT'S A LOAD OF CRAP!" Yoshi suddenly yelled out at the top of his voice, with genuine offense. "I was with him RIGHT before he died! He had EVERYTHING to live for!"

"And who are you?" Megure demanded.

The young shaggy haired student took a deep breath and replied "My name is Yoshi Isobe.. I..I.. was Kosuke's best friend.."

"Were you with Mr. Inoue for most of the day?" Megure questioned.

"Yes.. All throughout school and up to the tournament.." Yoshi informed him.

"Excuse me, Inspector Megure, but I can back this up." Ran interjected, stepping forward. " I was walking to the showers, and I saw Kosuke speaking very energetically and brashly to Soji." She explained.

Conan looked up at Ran with interest.

"Very well, Ran. Thank you." Megure acknowledged, before turning to Kogoro. "Well.. What about you, Kogoro..?" He asked grimly.

"What are you implying, Inspector?! You still think I'm the Angel of Death or something?!" Kogoro asked in an offended voice.

[Hey, at least you'd be good at SOMETHING..] Conan joked sarcastically in his thoughts.

"You'd be too incompetent at your job, anyway.." Came an icy and familiar arrogant female voice.

Conan looked up with reluctance to see the self assured figure of Ran's mother, Eri Kisaki, standing in her usual black business dress, staring at her ex-husband in an almost pitying way.

[Oh, no..] Conan grumbled inwardly. [She's the LAST person I needed to see..]

"Mom! When did you get here?!" Ran exclaimed with a combination of of surprise and happiness.

"I've been here all along." Eri informed her. "Since the beginning of the tournament. You did an exceptional job." She complimented in a way that seemed a tad insincere.

"But where were you? We couldn't see you." Kogoro wondered with an uncaring expression.

"That was intentional. I wouldn't be caught dead sitting next to you!" She snapped, giving her glasses a slight adjustment.

"MOM!" Ran objected angrily.

"ENOUGH! This is a serious murder investigation, and we have to get to the bottom of this!" Megure shouted in general, before turning to Kogoro, specifically, asking "How did you figure out what happened?"

"I wasn't the one who determined that, it was THAT little creep who stepped inside an active crime scene!" Kogoro growled, pointing toward Hiroki.

"WHAT?! What the HELL do you think you were DOING, kid?!" Megure yelling, getting right in the boy's face.

"What I was doing, my dear Inspector, was attempting to solve this case." Hiroki replied quite laid back and sure of himself.

[HUH?! What is this kid's deal?!] Conan thought uncertainly.

"What the Hell are you talking about?! Who are you?!" Megure challenged.

"Funny you should ask.." The boy replied with a subdued, yet arrogant tone. "I'm the NEW Detective of Teitan High, Hiroki Sera!" He announced dramtically, flipping the brim of his hat.

"HUUUUH?!" The entire crowd, Detectives included exclaimed in unison.

[WHAT.. Where'd HE come from?!] Conan thought with disbelief.

[W..What's going on?!] Ran thought in an identical fashion.

"The NEW Detective?!" Megure asked incredulously.

"Well, seeing as how the legendary Shinichi Kudo is missing in action, I figured I'd pick up his slack!" Hiroki boasted.

"That all we need.. Another High School Detective Boy.." Eri thought with a grimace.

[Grr! This guy's looking for a soccer ball to the face!] Conan thought with a snarl.

[What right does HE have to talk about Shinichi that way?!] Ran fumed in her mind.

"Oh, yeah? Well, Mister Detective, how do we know that YOU haven't contaminated the crime scene?!" Megure accused in a harsh tone.

"And what if I told YOU that I basically have the culprit figured out?" Hiroki fired back slyly.

"What?!" Megure yelled. The rest of the crowd was in just as much disbelief.

"However, I do need time to aquire the neccesary evidence, so I'll be off collecting it.." The young man stated matter-of-factly, before strutting off through the crowd. As he passed, he gave a very suspicious smile to Ran who only frowned tensely in response.

[This isn't good! This wannabe is bound to wreck everything! I've got to try to beat him to the deduction!] Conan thought resolutely. Then, taking note of the downcast Uta, he took hold of the hem of her rather short skirt and gave a gentle tug.

"Huh?" The girl said, looking downwards.

"Excuse me, Miss Uta. Was Mr. Kosuke mean to you when you were together?" Conan interrogated in his best unassuming childlike way.

"W..Well.. He would yell at me several times, and.." Uta began to explain, before Soji leaned down and began to yell at Conan with a perturbed expression.

"LEAVE MY SISTER ALONE, YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

"Conan, please come and stand by me." Ran instructed.

"And STAY OUT of this investigation!" Kogoro reprimanded, bringing his fist down hard on Conan's head, causing the young sleuth to see stars!

"DAD! Leave Conan alone!" Ran admonished, giving her father a brisk slap on the arm, before giving Conan a reassuring massage to his injury.

"What's the matter, Soji? Worried the kid might find out about how you threatened your OWN SISTER?" Yoshi implicated with as much prejudice as he could muster.

Conan, still recovering from Kogoro's blow, suddenly sprang to attention at this revelation!

"ARE YOU ACCUSING ME OF SOMETHING?!" Soji roared.

"Soji, please!" Uta pleaded meekly.

"I'm saying that it bugged the HELL out of you that your sister was dating my friend! And that you'd be desperate enough to..!" Yoshi began to implicate harshly, before Sato marched over to the boys and placed her hands firmly between them like a boxing referee.

"ENOUGH, you two! Now calm down or I'll have the BOTH of you locked up for the night!" She interjected firmly.

As the boys reluctantly turned away from one another, Soji protectively hugging his sister close to him, Conan glared at the three, thinking deeply [I wonder.. What purpose does that girl serve in all of this..?]

Megure then turned to the forensics team and asked "Find anything else, yet?"

"No, Sir. There's only one set of fingerprints on the needle, and witnesses leaving the bathroom say that Inoue was alone when he entered. Whomever planned this out was very careful.." One of the investigators explained.

[Okay, then.. Any sort of evidence may still be amongst the belongings of the culprit! I've got to get to it before they or that crazy kid does!] Conan thought with a sense of urgency.

"There seems to be very few trace amounts of residue left in the interior of the syringe itself, Sir. Most of the remainder is actual insulin." One of the forensics experts noted.

"I'd imagine. He injected most of it into his bloodstream." Megure dully noted.

"Uh.. Actually, Inspector, it doesn't take that much cyanide to kill someone. Only about 1.5 milligrams is necessary." Yoshi suddenly interjected quite meekly.

"Really, young man? And how were you aware of this?" Megure asked, taking interest in the statement.

"Oh, I recently had to pass a chemistry exam. Funny.. I.. I didn't realize I'd be reminded so suddenly.." The boy began to explain, before sadly trailing off.

"You wouldn't have happened to learn how to covertly poison someone, would you?" Kogoro needled suspiciously.

"N..NO! Of course not! What are you implying?! He was my friend, dammit!" Yoshi reacted frightened and defensively.

"Yes! Leave him alone!" The quiet, reserved girl Uta suddenly shouted crossly. "He doesn't have anything to do with this!"

"Uta, quiet down! This is no life for you!" Soji reprimanded, grabbing his sister by the arm.

But the girl pulled away, violently. "Be quiet! I'm sick of you bossing me around and telling me whom I can't be friends with!"

"Alright! I said, everyone stay calm!" Sato once again raised her voice authoritively.

[Hmm.. Something else is definately going on here.. And if my intuition is right.. Something more than meets the eye..] Conan thought with a deep look of concentration. [The problem is how I'm going to make the authorities aware of this and gather more clues, before that Hiroki kid ruins everything.]

It was then that Conan looked up at the saddened face of Ran, who watched the torrential scene before her with an uneasy expression.

[I think I've found a way!] He thought with a smirk. With that, Conan quietly sneaked off through the crowd. Once he was out of general eyesight, he quickly and quietly sneaked down the hallway into an empty classroom. Then, in the mostly pitch black hiding place, he extracted "Shinichi's" cell phone from his left hand pocket, and his voice changing bow-tie from his right, and using the illumination from his phone to adjust the voice setting, he took a deep breath and thought quietly [Here we go!] Before dialing Ran's number..

[RING RING.. RING RING.. RING..] Ran's phone suddenly began blaring in her pocket, and the crowd turned to look at the girl as a crimson blush began to pour across her face. "Excuse me a moment!" She exclaimed very quietly, before dashing off towards a quiet place. She then placed the phone to her ear and asked in a rather annoyed voice "Yes, hello?!"

"Hey, it's been a while since we last talked.. I thought you'd be more happy to hear my voice!" Came that familiar, self assured tone.

Ran's eyes widened in surpise, and her heart began to pound rapidly. "Sh..Shinichi..? She asked with fluttering breath.

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	11. Chapter 11

"You seem surprised to hear my voice, Ran! It hasn't been that long, has it?" Shinichi's voice asked in his usual self assured tone.

"Uh.. I.. I just.." Ran replied nervously, her blush turning a deeper shade of red.

"Listen, I didn't just call to fool around! Conan told me about the tough case that's going on, and I think I can help out!" He explained, his voice becoming more serious.

"C.. Conan.." Ran stopped to consider for a moment, before smiling to herself, and continuing "Alright. What do you need me to do?"

"You can kind of be my eyes and ears as you interrogate the suspects in a non assuming way.. Someone they would trust.. Then, you could relay the info back to me." Shinichi instructed, before signing off quickly "Gotta go, bye!"

"Ah, Shinichi! Wait!" Ran protested, but she could already hear the silence of his having hanged up. She groaned with frustration, before walking back to the crowd.

"Well, how about working some of that magic, "Sleeping Kogoro"? You look like you're SLEEPWALKING through this investigation." Eri quietly taunted.

"I'm working on it.. Relax!" Kogoro growled back.

"Mom, Dad, will you please stop arguing?" Ran pleaded, just arriving back to the crowd.

"We're not arguing, Ran, I was just pointing out to your father that another no good high school amateur is showing him up!" Eri stated in a cold, snippy way.

"Mom!" Ran declared defensively.

Conan had just sneaked back to his place the crowd as Megure firmly declared "NO ONE is showing up ANYONE here, Miss Kisaki. This is a serious investigation in which a young man, however.. disreputable his reputation may have been, has had his life taken from him.."

Eri, relented and with a remaining air of smugness, replied "My apologies. Do continue, Inspector."

"All in good time. We're going to have to wait on some evidence to surface. Who knows how long that could take?" The Inspector said with gravity.

[This isn't good! I hope Ran gets some results before the suspect can start destroying the evidence that links them to this!] Conan thought intensely. The boy then looked up to see Ran looking down at him warmly.

"Don't worry, Conan. I got the call from Shinichi.. Everything's going to be fine.." She whispered to him reassuringly.

Uh.. O..Okay, Ran." He could only utter in response, before thinking. [I just hope she knows how to question these guys without giving herself away.]

Ran then turned her gaze to Uta, who was standing by herself. Her arms wrapped around her shoulders as though she were cold.

"Hey, Uta.. Are you alright?" Ran asked with genuine concern as she approached her.

"I'm fine.." Uta replied, sniffling a little.

"Uta.. you may not want to talk about this right now, but maybe it might make you feel better.." Ran began, trying to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

However, the young lady just pulled away temprementally again. "NO! I said I don't want to talk about it!" She grunted silently.

Ran was at a loss for words. She quickly strengthened her resolve, however, and continued. "Uta, is what your brother said true? Did Kosuke push you around?"

"Leave me alone!" The girl growled fiercely between clenched teeth, tears forming in her eyes.

"Uta, listen! If you don't tell me what happened between you and your boyfriend, you'll NEVER have peace of mind again!" Ran softly, but intensely prodded.

"ALRIGHT!" The girl shrieked in surrender.

Needless to say, the entire crowd behind them turned in surprise.

"Hey, Mori! What are you.." Soji infuriatingly began to intrude, when suddenly, his younger sister exploded with a cracking voice.

"OH, SHUT UP, SOJI! I'M CONFIRMING WHAT YOU KNOW!" The girl shouted defiantly once more.

"U..Uta.." Soji said, for the first time, showing a semblance of emotion other than anger.

"Kosuke was NEVER my boyfriend! He.. He POSSESSED ME!" She continued in a tormented voice. "He would always smack me around and threaten to kill me if I left him!"

Conan now hyperfocused his attention on the scene at hand with a stern expression.

"And that is why you DID kill him!" Came a sudden voice from in back of her. All turned to look at Hiroki, having just returned, holding in a gloved hand, a small container! In his other gloved hand, a different colored pair of latex gloves, baby blue.

"Wha..?!" Conan reacted with a start. The others were just as taken aback.

"What are you talking about, kid?!" Megure asked incredulously.

"What I mean is I've solved this case!" Hiroki boasted. "I've found THIS container of cyanide and THESE gloves in a trashcan at the end of the hallway!"

[Ah!] Conan thought wide-eyed. [I can't believe this!]

[So.. He really IS a high school Detective!] Ran thought. Feeling just as ill at ease.

"Wait a damn moment!" Megure interjected fiercely. "How do you know for sure that THIS young lady is the guilty party?!"

"It's quite simple, Inspector.." The boy continued, just as pretentiously as before. He then extended his hand grasping the gloves forward. "THESE particular gloves, I recognize as being from the girls' cooking class that I've seen Ran and Sonoko wearing time to time!"

"Ah! Hey! He's right!" Sonoko exclaimed with surprise.

"Supplemented with her little breakdown here, as well as her proximity to the body upon discovery, as well as the discarded evidence, I'd say, all we need to find is the bow to wrap things up! Namely, the biological link." He concluded in the haughty manner of an overachieving student expecting an instant "100" grade.

[Grrr.. Just when I thought my career was safe, THIS damn little interloper cuts in on my action!] Kogoro thought with a grouce.

Hiroki then began to advance brazenly towards Uta, glaring straight at her, declaring "Seeing as how the two were somewhat close, Uta here would naturally have close access to Kosuke's medical supplies, the rest pretty much falls into place!"

"NO! I..I didn't do it! YES, I was angry at him, but I wouldn't do such a thing!" Uta asserted tearfully.

It was at that moment that Conan caught sight of Yoshi staring at the scene before him with somewhat conflicted expression. Wanted to speak, but constraining his tongue with great force..

One of Yoshi's friends casually tapped him on the shoulder "What's the matter, Yoshi? Still gotta use the bathroom?"

Yoshi just frowned nervously and shook his head.

Conan's eyes narrowed with keen perception. [Ah! I think I've got this!] Then, he quickly dashed off towards the classroom again..

Hiroki, meanwhile, was continuing with his demonstration. "All you need to do is test her hands! If they've got any sort of latex residue on them, she's the culprit!"

Uta, by this time had clearly had enough. She practically knocked Hiroki out by sticking her hands into his face! "GO AHEAD! TEST THEM! I already told you I'm NOT THE KILLER!" She said aggresively.

"Wh.. What..?! Are you sure?" Ran said into the phone with uncertainty.

"Trust me, it's the only possibility.. Remember what I've always said, there's only ONE truth!" Conan informed her in Shinichi's voice.

"B..But how would I prove that..?" She asked doubtfully.

"Trust me, if you do exactly as I say, it'll be a piece of cake.." Shinichi assured her, before beginning to explain..

"Well..?" Megure asked.

"No, Sir. No sign of any powder residue whatsoever.." The forensic expert replied, dabbing at the girl's hands with a q-tip.

"W.. Wait a minute.. There.. There must be a mistake here!" Hiroki, for the first time, beginning to lose his calm, braggert demeanor.

"The only mistake here is YOU, kid!" Megure shouted. "I should've known nobody could've topped Kudo.."

"M..Maybe she washed her hands, or.." Hiroki tried to explain, doing his best to shield his embarrassment.

"Or maybe she didn't do it!" Came the sudden and firm voice of Ran as she re-entered the fray, looking very serious, her brows furrowed.

"Thank you, Ran, but I could've made that quite clear.." A bemused Megure remarked.

"However, Hiroki is onto something with the idea of latex glove residue. That's not something people commonly have on their hands.." She explained, taking clear control of the situation.

"Well, go on.. Who killed my friend?!" Yoshi demanded.

"That's an interesting question, Yoshi.. It would have to be someone who had close access to Kosuke and his insulin equipment.. As well as a fairly reasonable understanding of cyanide.." Ran began dramatically, building to a suspenseful crescendo. "And that would be YOU, YOSHI!" She then shouted, forcefully jutting her index finger directly at him, her face alight with righteous indignation!

"HUH?!" Megure exclaimed with confusion. "This again?!"

"Uh, Ran.. What are you doing..?" Sonoko began to ask, looking concerned.

"What the HELL are you talking about?! What reason would I have for killing my best friend?!" Yoshi aggresively demanded, getting into Ran's face, his saliva practically splattering on her.

"First things first, I'd suggest that the forensics team perform their chemical test on your hands, to check for evidence." Ran stated firmly and unwaveringly as if possessed by Shinichi himself.

"What?! Forget it! I dont have to submit to ANYTHING!" Yoshi growled defensively.

Detective Sato then approached him in a confrontational manner. "Naturally, if you'd like to attract further suspicion to yourself, be our guest.." She implicated.

"Look, I really have to go to the bath..." The student nervously began to object, before having Sato clamp her iron-like grip hard upon his right hand and bring it up as he grimaced in pain.

"Oh, I'm sure it can wait a few moments.." Sato said in an irritated manner.

The forensics team member gave his hand a few swift dabs with the Q-Tip and held it up to his face. "AH! I.. It's showing a reaction!" He gasped.

There was a look of disbelief on the crowd's faces. Except for Conan, smiling broadly with furrowed brows.

"Care to explain THAT Mr. Isobe?!" Sato demanded, taking hold of Yoshi's collar.

"I.. I.. Da.." Yoshi stammered, a panicked look in his eyes.

"Which brings me to the motive.." Ran continued, stalwart as before, without missing a beat. "You wouldn't happen to have a sister or girlfriend, would you, Yoshi? Then what are you doing with a pair of girl's gloves? Actually, I believe you DO have a girlfriend, isn't that right, UTA?"

Uta looked as if she had seen a ghost, as she stared back at Ran.

"Uta.. Is.. Is that true?" Soji asked uncertainly.

The girl then bowed her head and squeezed her eyes shut, grinding her teeth with frustration. "YES! YES, OKAY!" She tearfully admitted. "I've actually been in love with Yoshi from the beginning, but that APE Kosuke muscled his way between us! But I didn't want you to KILL HIM or anything!"

"But, I.." Yoshi began to object.

"Face it, Yoshi, all the evidence speaks against you: Your knowlege of cyanide, the glove residue, your hidden relationship with Uta. JUST GIVE IT UP!" Ran hammered home her charge.

The tortured young man then shook his head sideways slowly and snickered softly. "I've got to give it you, Miss Mori. You seem to have inheritated your father's famous deduction skills quite well.. Yes.. Yes, I killed the bastard.. The BASTARD who tried to take everything he could from me.. I used to be on the honor roll early first year, the same wonderful year I met Uta through her brother.. However, in the process of realizing love for the FIRST possible time in my life.. I temporarily wavered in my studies, and.. I swear I only did this just once.. BORROWED the answers for the exam.. Then, that DIRTBAG came in to my life... Turns out he'd done some investigating and realized what I'd done.. He then threatened to tell the school board what I'd done, and have my award revoked.. My chances for getting into a good college, unless I started working for him in his gang.. Then, when he realized I was in love with his rival's girlfrien..he used his size to intimidate me into backing down from her.. Just.. Just taking her for himself! He didn't even LOVE HER! Still, that big oaf couldn't keep us from secretly seeing each other, even when her STUPID overly protective brother attempted to keep her locked away!" He exclaimed, much venom in his tone as he leveled his finger at Soji, who then just looked away sheepishly.

Yoshi continued, an inhuman sneer growing larger and larger. "So then, I began planning to take the bastard out! When I learned of his medical condition... I saw an opportunity! I took extra science classes and learned about the effectiveness of cyanide! I borrowed Uta's gloves.. And some cyanide from the medical supply room, and made sure to arrive with Kosuke when he got ready for the tournament. Got to his insulin needle, injected the poison, and replaced it, ditched the evidence, then waited for.. The inevitable.."

All in the crowd seemed silent, until finally, Ran took a deep sigh and said clearly and concisely with a look of stalwart determination. "And so, you've decided to become a worse monster than Kosuke ever was! Not only did you conspire to take his life, but you nearly let Uta, whom you were doing this for, take the blame for this! You were NEVER fit to date her in the first place!"

With that, blood rushed to Yoshi's face, He bolted towards Ran, his hands out in a threatening motion "YOU FRIGGING BIT..!" He began to scream maniacally, his voice cracking. Ran took a defensive position, reared back and kicked him hard in in chin! Yoshi's body locked up and he collapsed to the floor.

Sato then rushed over to him, holding him down with her knee and began to handcuff him. "I think that's enough murdering for you, kid!" She said aggresively.

"Are you alright, Ran?!" Eri asked, as she and Kogoro rushed over to her.

"Yes, Mom, I'm fine." Ran replied quickly. Attempting to brush the incident aside as though it were nothing.

"That was an amazing deduction, Ran!" Kogoro congratulated. "The brilliant mind of a detective sure does run in my family!" He boasted.

"You mean from mine.." Eri remarked under her breath.

"Oh, yes, because it's YOUR name that's been in the papers all this time!" Kogoro bit back.

"Well, good for you, Mr. Egotist!" Eri spat.

"Mom! Dad! Please!" Ran begged the two.

"Come on, Ran! Let's give these two some time alone!" Sonoko said with slight aggravation, pulling her along.

"Hey wait up, you guys!" Hiroki called out, as he gave chase. Conan, a look of suspicion on his face, followed as well.

As the four entered an ajourning hallway, Ran turned to ask "All right, Hiroki, what now..?" In an irritated fashion.

"I just wanted to apologize for almost sabotaging that investigation.. I.. I guess I still need to brush up on my investigation skills.." Hiroki said with an apologetic shrug. "If I ever want to be as good as your Dad or you.. That is if YOU were the one who figured that out.." His tone then turned suspicious as he leaned in to her face. "Did you happen to recieve any help from your detective boyfriend..?"

"Uh.. Well.. I.." Ran began to stammer with an elusive expression.

"Hmm.. That's strange.." Conan's voice came from below the three. They all looked down to see Conan holding one of Hiroki's hands, examining it.

"Hey, kid, what are you doing?" Hiroki asked with annoyance.

Conan then looked up and asked with childlike innocence "Hiroki, why didn't you tell us you were really a girl?"

"WHAAAT?!" Ran and Sonoko shrieked at the top of their voices, their eyes bugging out.

"H..Hey, kid.. What are you talking about?!" Hiroki asked with a panicked expression.

"Well, I just noticed that your index and ring fingers are at exactly the same length, as well as the distance between your shoulders to hips measure in the structure of a girl.." Conan explained, running an invisible line up and down Hiroki's side.

"H..Hiroki.. Is that true..?" Ran asked, still a bit unsteady.

[Unbelievable..] The mysterious student looked down at the boy with an impressed smirk, before then turning back to Ran with an honest look and admitted "Y.. Yeah, it sure is.."

"HUUUH?!" Ran and Sonoko freaked out again.

"Shh! Not so loud!" The girl shushed them. "No one's supposed to know about this! I'm here undercover!"

"Well then who the heck are you, exactly?" Ran quietly asked in disbelief.

The girl sighed "My real name is Masumi Akai.. My brother was a member of the American FBI organization.." She began to explain.

"AH!" [This girl is Akai's sister! He never told me he had a sister!]

"My family recieved word that he'd been killed in this country.. So I decided to come over here to investigate. I was hoping that maybe that famous high school detective.. And YOUR boyfriend, Shinichi Kudo, might be able to help me!" Masumi elaborated.

"Ah! That.. That Shuichi Akai man was killed?" Ran asked with confusion.

"Who?" Sonoko asked with confusion.

"Yes.. He.. He was shot and burned alive in his truck.. It.. It was horrible.." Masumi said, beginning to tear up a little.

"My gosh, that's terrible!" Ran gasped. "I tell you what.. We won't tell anybody about you being a girl, and.. I'll be sure to see if Shinichi can do anything about this.."

"Why, thank you Ran." Masumi then said warmly.

[This isn't good.. If this girl goes poking around, she might be endangered by the Organization..] Conan thought with frustration. He was so busy mulling this over that he didn't catch sight of Masumi looking down at him introspectively.

[Nice detective work, kid, I must say.. He sure was right about you.. Cool Guy..] She thought with an enigmatic smile.

TO BE CONTINUED...  



	12. Chapter 12

[Yes.. Her mood seems to be a reflection of the weather..] Conan thought as he cast his gaze at his fellow shrunken compatriot, Ai Haibara, whose icy, withdrawn facade was still quite visible, underneath the winter scarf that seemed to purposefully cover her mouth, as she and the rest of his friends continued their leisurely stroll home through the city. It was definitely her light blue eyes. They had a way of standing out of any situation with an almost luminous intensity. It was a bit unnerving to him, and he internally affirmed his thanks she was an ally.

Then, the eyes darted towards his.. "What are you staring at?" Her annoyed voice asked, slightly muffled by the material.

"Why are you covering your mouth? It's not that cold, is it?" Conan asked curiously.

"Are you kidding? It's freezing.." Ai replied somewhat standoffish.

"Are you sure you're not trying to hide..?" Conan countered with an almost teasing inflection.

"SHH! Keep your voice down!" Ai harshly whispered reminding him of the usual company following behind, but it was far too late..

"WHAT?! What does Conan mean, "hiding", Haibara? Is someone bullying you?!" Genta quickly butted in between the two, placing his large, intimidating face directly in front of Ai's and demanding so loud as if trying to deliberately draw attention to the spot they stood on the sidewalk. He was actually almost immediately successful.

[Dammit Genta!] Ai growled internally, taking note of the confused and annoyed citizens glancing their way while remaining completely composed on her exterior. "N.. No, Genta, there's nobody bullying me." She calmly reassured him, albeit with a bit of a nervous smile peeking out from the scarf.

"She's not being bullied, Genta." Ayumi, walking alongside them, stated. "Isn't it obvious? She's embarrassed because she's in love!"

"HUUUH?!" Conan and Ai said in unison, blushing with their eyes bulging out.

"That's right. We girls understand these things." Ayumi said self assuredly, before approaching Ai more closely. "You read about Higo making that last minute goal at the match yesterday, didn't you?"

"Uh.. N-no, that is.." Ai stammered, now even more nervous than before. "I..It's just a little cold for me, that's all.."

"Uh, I just forgot! We've got to head home real quick for something!" Conan hastily informed the kids, before quickly taking hold of Ai's hand and pulling her along rather roughly, calling "Bye!"

Each one of the Detective Boys looked off at the two very suspiciously.

"You know, I believe that maybe both Haibara AND Conan may be hiding something from us!" Mitsuhiko implied distrustfully.

"Yeah! Who do they think they are, keeping secrets from their friends?!" Genta objected quite boisterously. "It sounds like another exciting case for..

"THE DETECTIVE BOYS!" The three all shouted energetically as one.

"Hey! Will you slow down? You're going to tear my arm off!" Ai complained as she and Conan raced down the street.

"Quiet! In here!" Conan instructed sternly dragging her into an alleyway.

"Kudo! What's your problem?!" Ai demanded with a harsh whisper.

"What is this secretive business? Do you honestly believe one of THEM might be walking around, looking for you?" Conan urged impatiently.

"Look, I'm not going to take any chances what with that Bourbon agent looking for me! What if Vermouth has told him about us?!" She responded with firey indignation.

"Come on. I made her promise to give up on you, remember? If she lied about agreeing, we'd both be dead by now." Conan countered. "Besides, I highly doubt Bourbon's going to recognize you as Sherry unless he saw you as a kid like that Pisco guy and quite frankly, there's little to no chance of that seeing that he was recently codenamed."

"What about that creepy Okiya guy that moved into your house? He has the scent, dammit!" Ai spat with such exasperation that her saliva was tacked onto Conan's glasses.

"Okay.. Okay.. Calm down.." Conan said, removing his glasses and cleaning the lenses with an aggravated expression. "He MAY be one of them, but no sweat. I've removed all the younger photos of me, just in case he puts two and two.." He began, somewhat sure of himself, before Ai grabbed him by the collar, gritting her teeth.

"We're not certain what he's capable of!" She growled with furious outrage. "If he has the mind of a detective as Kir reported, what makes you think he won't eventually make the connection?!"

After a short break, Conan heaved a heavy sigh and said with a diligent expression "Ai, I think it's about time I told you something.." He then leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

Across the street, looking as conspicuous as possible, the Detective Boys peered over the corner of a building, viewing the very scene with disbelief.

"AH! Did you guys see that?! He kissed her right on the cheek!" Genta blurted out raucously. "You were right, Mitsuhiko!"

"GRR! I can't believe he would betray me like this!" Mitsuhiko grumbled, scowling as if he were painted by Picasso.

[Conan..Ai.. How could you?!] Ayumi thought to herself. So confounded, that she didn't know whether to begin sobbing, or to race over to Conan and begin to strangle him. [You said.. You said you didn't like him that way..]

"WHAT?! HAVE YOU GONE COMPLETELY MAD?!" Ai bellowed upon hearing what Conan had told her with an expression that made it look as if she had just witnessed an alien invasion.

"Look, you'll have to trust me.." Conan said stoically, donning his glasses. "It sounds crazy now, but it's an absolutely crucial measure."

Ai was completely dumbfounded. "But.. But do you realize how much this jeopardizes everything?! Our identities?! OUR LIVES?!" She imparted as clearly, yet as quiet as possible.

A brash, yet comforting smile crossed Conan's lips. "Glad to see you want to stay alive!" He cheerfully complimented her.

Ai's mouth went agape, her eyes widened with the shock of his statement. Her jaw then clenched shut and her brows furrowed with indignation as she then reared back and gave him a firm slap across his left cheek, knocking his glasses askew.

"How can you JOKE about that?!" She snarled, before stomping off and away from the scene, leaving Conan standing frozen and confused.

Back across the street, Genta could now barely contain his wrath. "GRR! Okay, that's it! I can forgive the whole kissing thing, but not THIS!" He roared, before rolling his sleeves up and beginning to bolt towards Conan.

"Genta! Wait! Watch the street!" Mitsuhiko called out as he and Ayumi gave chase.

A car, headed down the street, swerved midway to avoid the jaywalking young pedestrians, the driver honking his horn furiously.

Conan, once again adjusting his specs, looked over to see his friends approach.

"Ah! What are you guys doing here?!" He exclaimed.

"Don't try to dodge this, Conan! We saw everything! Why were you threatening Haibara after you kissed her?!" Genta accused, sticking his big, meaty finger into Conan's ribs.

[Damn! These nosey kids can't know about this!] Conan thought uneasily. "Uh..What.. What are you talking about, guys?" He asked nervously.

"Don't lie to us, Conan! You kissed Haibara on the cheek, then told her that you were glad she wanted to stay alive!" Genta shouted, grabbing Conan by his collar.

"Whoa! Whoa, guys! There's been a huge misunderstanding!" Conan tried to explain, timidly. A sweatdrop rolling down his cheek.

"Then please explain in careful detail, Conan! Just what are you and Haibara hiding from us?!" Mitsuhiko demanded.

"Yes, Conan! We're your friends! We have a right to know!" Ayumi affirmed with an incensed expression.

"Look, guys, you've got us both wrong!" Conan began to explain in an easygoing way. "First off, I wasn't kissing her! I was whispering into her ear, about.. The.. The cool new Detective Boys gadget Professor Agasa is working on!"

"Yeah, well, what was that deal about you telling her about her staying alive and her slapping you?!" Genta demanded.

"Oh, that!" Conan replied, attempting to laugh it off. "That was just a joke I was telling her! Uh.. See, I was just telling her that she'd better not be in the Professor's house while he's working on it, in case it blew up!"

Conan may as well have told an old knock-knock joke. The ice cold suspicious glares from his friends cut into him with the bite of a blade.

"You really expect us to believe that?" Mitsuhiko asked blankly.

"Uh.." Conan began, when his phone suddenly began ringing in his pocket. [Whew..] He sighed in relief, before taking it out and answering it. "Hello?"

"Conan! I need you to come home as quickly as you can!" Ran Mouri greeted him very urgently.

"Oh.. Uh.. Hello, Professor!" Conan replied, beginning to think on his feet.

"What?! Conan, clean out your ears! This is Ran! Dad's just received a very important case and he has to leave very soon!" She informed him.

"Oh, Okay!" Conan replied nonchalantly, not acknowledging this, before hanging up. He then turned to his friends and said "Speaking of Professor Agasa, that was him! He wants to show me that gadget now, so see you!" Before racing off.

"HEY!" Genta shouted as Conan raced off again.

"Now it's certain, he's hiding something from us!" Mitsuhiko stated.

"And we have to figure out what that is!" Ayumi agreed.

"It's another exciting case for.. THE DETECTIVE BOYS!" Genta declared enthusiastically.

"HUH?! Yoko Okino?!" Conan asked in surprise outside the detective agency.

"SHH! Keep your voice down!" Ran warned him. "Yes, apparently, she has a problem and.. She wants Dad to help solve it." She explained, before turning her head and angrily staring at Kogoro, who was doing a last minute grooming session in the reflection of the rental car's window.

"Alright, let's hurry. We mustn't keep the lovely Miss Okino waiting." Kogoro said, ushering the two along impatiently.

"Dad.. I swear, if you try anything.." Ran said while glaring at him, making a vague threat.

"Come now, Ran. You know I'm a perfect gentleman in situations like this." Kogoro said with a ridiculously bad attempt at a suave demeanor.

[I'd like that in writing..] Conan thought sardonically.

Upon walking through the entrance lobby of the massive Beika concert hall, they were greeted almost immediately by a shifty looking older man with liver spots running along his forehead, his eyes partially concealed behind dark glasses. "Mister Mouri! Thank goodness that you're here! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shuunsuke Tomohiro, and I'm the coordinator for Miss Okino's appearance here." He said in a nervous fashion, bowing quickly.

"No problem, Mr. Tomohiro. Now, from what I hear, Miss Okino was rehearsing here, when she found a threatening message in her dressing room?" Kogoro asked serious and businesslike. Almost immediately, Conan became attentive, and adopted a focused expression as well.

"Y..Yes, that's right." Tomohiro responded cautiously. "There were large letters written in red ink that looked like blood on her dressing room mirror, reading "CANCEL SHOW TONIGHT".

"Were the police called?" Kogoro asked.

"Yes, of course. They searched the grounds for any clues or sinister devices, but nothing of the sort could be located. It was Miss Okino herself who actually suggested your involvement." Tomohiro explained.

"Well, of course she did.." Kogoro responded arrogantly, as Conan and Ran cast annoyed grimaces in his direction. "Where would Miss Okino be right now?" He then asked.

"She's in the backstage area with her manager and the stage director." Tomohiro informed them, before making a come-along motion "Come on, I'll show you the way."

As the trio began to follow, Conan was already formulating in his mind [Strange.. For what reason would someone want Yoko to cancel her show? And why would they make such a personal show of it to her? Is it an obsessed fan? Or is there something else at hand..?]

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	13. Chapter 13

"Oh, Detective Mouri! I'm so GLAD to see you!" The pretty young idol singer, dressed in a black turtleneck and jeans, exclaimed enthusiastically, jumping up from her chair in the backstage area and rushing over to Kogoro, where she threw her arms around him in a warm embrace. Kogoro blushed understandably. Ran was livid.

"Of course.. Anything to ease your troubled mind, Miss Yoko.." Kogoro replied, pouring on a syrupy air of sympathy.

[Oh, please..] Conan groaned.

"Detective Mouri, If it's alright with you, we must begin this investigation right away.." A young, trendy looking man with stylized longish hair and expensive business clothes hurriedly said as he approached them.

"Honestly, Teijo! Stop ordering Detective Mouri around and let him take his time!" Yoko objected.

"But Yoko, the concert.." The man began to inform her.

"It can wait! This is important!" Yoko countered angrily.

"Wait a minute! Who in the Hell is THIS?!" Kogoro dissented, pointing at him with a jealous air about him.

"Oh, excuse me, Detective Mouri, I forgot to introduce you! This is Teijo Nakano, my new manager!" Yoko explained, her cheerfulness having returned.

"Oh, I see. Well.. Pleasure to meet you.." Kogoro greeted somewhat apologetically.

"My pleasure.." Teijo replied bitterly.

"So, whatever happened to Mr. Yamazaki?" Kogoro then blindly blurted out.

An uneasy tension then filled the room as Yoko then began to sadly look away.

"Um.. Mr. Mouri.. Miss Okino fired her original manager when it came to light that HE was responsible for breaking her boyfriend up with her, driving him to suicide.. I believe YOU were the one who solved that case, Sir.." Teijo informed him with a coarse whisper.

"Oh.. Of.. Of.. Course.." Kogoro muttered nervously, before turning to Yoko. "I'm so sorry, Yoko.."

"Oh, it's.. It's alright.." She replied in a still somewhat uncertain voice.

"Detective Mouri, my name is Haruna Wakahiso, I'm the stage director for this concert." A well dressed middle aged woman with permed hair said, approaching them. "If you'd like to see the dressing room now to look for clues, I'll lead you to it."

"Alright.. Very well.." Kogoro replied, adjusting his tie, becoming businesslike again.

"CANCEL CONCERT TONIGHT" The words, written in a sinister, jagged hand, were scrawled bold and clear in blood red script on the otherwise brightly lit and inviting dressing room.

Kogoro was already curiously looking around the room for any additional clues. Conan, unbeknownst to the others, was doing the same.

Kogoro picked up a very fresh looking fruit basket covered with plastic wrapping. "Did you happen to examine this basket?" He asked Yoko and her manager.

"No, Detective Mouri. It.. It was just left here by the staff to wish me luck." Yoko explained nervously.

"Hmm.. Better not try any of it until it's been checked for tampering.." Kogoro replied suspiciously.

"O..Okay.." Yoko said uncertainly.

"Detective Mouri, are you implying that one of US is responsible for this?!" Mr. Tomohiro sneered.

"I'm not implying ANYTHING yet!" Kogoro argued back "But there is a very distinct possibility! You see. This message just showed up recently, right, Miss Okino?"

"Y..Yes.." Yoko timidly replied. "Just about three hours ago when I came in to retrieve some notes."

"And there were no one present or NEAR the dressing rooms other than concert hall staff and security, right, Tomohiro?!" Kogoro now began to level a tad more harshly.

"Y.. Yes, but you see.." Tomohiro began to object.

"So there's absolutely a serious chance that it was EITHER of you!" Kogoro then shouted, levelling his finger at both Wakahiso and Tomohiro.

"You..You've got to be joking!" Miss Wakahiso balked, taking offense at this suggestion.

It was then that Conan took notice of something on the linoleium floor of the dressing room. [Huh? What's this?] He thought, edging forward. There, upon the floor appeared to be a couple of short, diagonally slanted black scuff marks! [What could be the meaning of these..?] Conan thought. [Is it from this chair?] He then examined the chair legs more carefully. [No, these legs are a lighter shade of brown. These scuff marks are dark black.. I wonder..] He pondered, looking back at the group of possible suspects.

"Detective Mouri, I think I should be honest with you.." Mr. Teijo began, somewhat hesitantly. "Around last week, Miss Okino began receiving threatening notes via mail. These were unable to be traced, but they basically contained the same vague threat."

Conan became attentive at this revelation.

"The Hell?!" Kogoro exclaimed "Why didn't you tell the Police?!"

"That's what I wanted to know!" Yoko added, somewhat annoyed.

"Well.. Yoko's recieved similar threats in the past, and nothing at all came of them. We had the security team do a sweep of the area prior, as well as keep an eye out for any suspicious characters. I even hired a private eye myself.." Teiko began to disclosed.

"A lot of good it did you.." Came an arrogant tone of voice from behind them. The group looked around in surprise to see, leaning pretentiously against the doorframe, an almost annoyed expression on his brown tanned face, dressed in a quite fancy black dinner jacket atop a grey turtleneck, Toru Amuro, the mysterious young private eye.

"Wh..What are YOU doing here?!" Teijo yelped.

"Wait a minute, who in the HELL are YOU?!" Kogoro bellowed with great ire.

Quickly adopting a boyish, eager-to-please grin, Toru quickly approached the veteran detective and bowed with a little too much enthusiasm, as if he were a young employee. "Someone who is an absolute admirer of yours, Detective Mouri, I am Toru Amuro, a fellow private investigator!" He vigorously introduced himself.

"Oh, another one of these young upstarts, huh?" Kogoro muttered to himself, before asking "So, you're a fan of mine, huh?"

"Oh, yes, Sir. Although I've already had the pleasure of meeting your daughter." Toru replied, with a sly tone of voice.

"WHAT?!" Kogoro replied, giving a panicked look to Ran behind him, before grabbing Toru by the lapels, shaking him and shouting "I SWEAR, KID, IF YOU'VE LAID ONE HAND ON MY DAUGHTER!"

"N-No, Dad, please! It wasn't like that! Mr. Amuro just happened to run into Conan and I while he was working on a case! Absolutely nothing happened!" Ran said, trying as best she could to politely calm her father.

After a brief moment, Kogoro gently released the man from his grip. "Very well, I'm terribly sorry.." He apologized in a not-that-sincere tone.

"Oh, no harm done.." Toru replied with an unoffended smile, which quickly faded into a serious frown as he focused his gaze on Mr. Teijo again. "However, one thing I CANNOT forgive, is an irresponsible client."

"L..Look, our security is top rated.." Teijo began to meekly defend himself, sweating bullets, before taking note of everyone around him giving him a disapproving look.. Including Yoko!

"Y..You're right. I..I'm so sorry.. I shouldn't have assumed.." He admitted sheepishly, eyes closed and shoulders slumped.

Conan's attention, however, was firmly fixed on Toru. [This isn't good..] He thought with an uneasy expression. [If this eavesdropper is around, I won't be able to pull the "lights out" routine on the Old Man! Gotta be creative in an unassuming way..] With that, Conan walked casually over to Yoko and gave a small tug on her jeans. The pop star looked down at Conan's inquisitive face.

"Excuse me, Miss Yoko, but aren't you a famous singer?" He asked in a childlike way.

"Why, yes, Conan, you know that." Yoko said with a somewhat embarrassed blush.

"Well, then, why would they give you a dressing room where the floor is all scuffed up? Shouldn't it look nicer?" Conan asked innocently, indicating to the floor besides the mirror.

"Huh..? That's strange.. Those weren't there this morning." Yoko responded with confusion.

[AHA! So there's my first clue!] Conan thought with a confident expression, before receiving a sudden yank on the back of his collar, pulling him up eye level with a livid Kogoro!

"Conan, leave Miss Okino alone! She's under a lot of stress right now!" The Detective growled with rage.

"Wait, Detective Mouri, I believe Conan has just spotted a clue!" Yoko gently objected, placing her hand on Kogoro's shoulder.

"What?!" Kogoro asked with surprise, before turning to Conan suspiciously.

"Uh.. It's just that Miss Yoko didn't seem to remember there being scuff marks on the floor.." Conan explained, trying to seem as inconspicuous as possible.

"Hmm.." Kogoro thought to himself, staring in the direction of the marks. Composing himself, he then took a deep breath and dramatically brushed the loose strands of hair from his forehead, announcing "Well, it seems as though the curtain has begun to rise on this theater of mystery!"

Bemused.. Confused.. Weirded out.. This is an accurate description of his captive audience.

"And.. Have you any idea how to go about SOLVING it?!" Tomohiro asked skeptically with a sour expression.

Kogoro seemed to feign a cough to buy himself some time, before glaring back at him in an intimadating fashion. "Well, for example, let's began with asking you were in the last three hours?!" He drilled.

"GLADLY!" The old man yelled back defiantly "I was out in the lobby, coordinating with security! You can ask them if you don't believe me!"

Undeterred, Kogoro then turned to Mrs. Wakahiso. "And what about you, Ma'am?" In a somewhat softer way.

It was then that Yoko softly interjected. "Um, Detective Mouri, I can explain for her. I was with her when she recieved an important phone call from her husband I helped her out to her car and she was gone for about one and a half hours, and was with me for the rest of the time."

Kogoro then gave a warm, appreciative smile to Yoko. "Alright, Miss Okino. Thank you very much for this pertinent information."

Conan then focused on the sullen woman with a curious expression. [Could be possible, but how can we confirm that's where she went..?]

"And you?" Kogoro asked Toji, barely giving him a cursory glance.

"I.. I was in another room, talking to the office about a way to prevent this from reflecting on Miss Okino's popularity.." Toji began to babble quite skittishly.

"And would there happen to be ANY witnesses to this?!" Kogoro pried, staring daggers.

"N.. NO, but it was a private office, as I didn't want any noise distracting me!" Toji continued defensively.

"My, isn't that convienent?!" Kogoro asked aggresively.

Conan, however, continued to moniter the suspects diligently. [Hmm.. More than one of these suspects seems to be hiding something.. The question is, who's the culprit.. And why..?]

Just then, an eager young member of the security staff rushed in the room, out of breath. "Ex..Excuse me, Detect.. Detective Mouri.." He gasped.

"Yes, what is it?" Kogoro asked, on edge.

"We.. We've had that fruit basket analyzed.. And.. Almost every item was tainted with a lethal dose of cyanide!" The nervous guard continued in between gasps.

The gasps and terrified looks from those assembled was nearly unanimous.

After reacting in surprise, Conan looked up to see Kogoro bowing his head and grinding his teeth together. With his eyes closed, the normally disfunctional detective announced "Well, that settles it.. Whomever is guilty of this crime against the lovely Miss Okino, stands accused not only of harrassment, but ATTEMPTED MURDER!"

TO BE CONTINUED...  



	14. Chapter 14

"Oh.. Oh, my goodness.." Yoko mumbled softly in terror to herself.

"That's right. Whomever painted this message was MORE than willing to carry the deed out on Miss Okino, and now stands culpable of the penalties for such an offense!" Kogoro continued his theatrical charge against the unknown culprit.

"How horrible.." Ran moaned in disbelief.

Conan, looking up towards her sympathetically, called "Ran.."

The girl looked down at Conan's warm smile, "Please don't worry. Uncle Kogoro should be able to find this out. Besides, It's a good thing that nothing actually happened to Miss Yoko, right?" He said in a gentle voice.

Ran gave Conan an almost clandestine smile in return, and replied faintly "Oh.. Y.. You're right, Conan. You always manage to cheer me up."

Conan felt somewhat embarrassed by her response. Blushing, he looked away, thinking [Why do I always feel like she means more than what she's saying..?]

Kogoro then approached the young security staff member. "Which employee was the one responsible for bringing this basket into the dressing room?" He asked.

"W.. We honestly don't know, sir. It just suddenly showed up in the room earlier this morning, and we just assumed that it was a member of the staff." The young man replied earnestly.

"Hmm.." Conan suddenly wondered aloud, looking back and forth from the basket, to the mirror. "That's strange.. You'd think that the person wouldn't want to warn Yoko, if they were going to hurt her." He observed, only to have Kogoro yank him up by the very hair of his head!

"Get the HELL away from there! You're tampering with the evidence!" Kogoro growled with anger, as Conan squirmed in his grip.

"Dad! Leave Conan alone! He doesn't realize what he's doing!" Ran reprimanded him, pulling Conan from his grasp.

Tempting as it was to revel being held close to his love's warm bosoms once more, Conan resisted his affections long enough for a better look at the crime scene. Sure enough, there was a faint golden mark on the grey marble makeup table.

"Wow! Look at that pretty color!" Conan exclaimed with as much false childish wonder as he could muster.

"Huh?!" Both Kogoro and Ran asked.

"There's some pretty gold paint on the table!" Conan elaborated, pointing at the streak of color in question.

"You little dummy! That's just some of Yoko's nail polish!" Kogoro abrasively corrected, before very quickly switching to a sweeter disposition and turned to Yoko with an almost terrifying "nice" expression. "Isn't that right, Miss Okino?"

Yoko walked over to the table and carefully inspected it. "Mmm.. No, I'm sorry. I'm not wearing any gold nail polish in my performance. Besides, I don't remember seeing this here earlier this morning." She said nervously.

"AH! THAT'S it! This mark was most likely made by the culprit!" Kogoro exclaimed with a start.

[That's it, old man, you've got it!] Conan thought excitedly.

"AND THE KEY IS FINDING WHO OWNS THAT NAIL POLISH!" Kogoro shouted triumphantly.

[Ugh.. Knew I should've learned by now..] Conan thought to himself, slapping his forehead in frustration. [Wait a minute!] He thought, suddenly taking note of the suspects.. Each one of them had at least one peice of gold jewelry! Mr. Tomohiro had a gold signet ring, which he seems to be fondling, Mrs. Wakahiso had a gold bracelet, which she seemed to be pushing up into her grey jacket sleeve.. and Mr. Nakano was practically covered pin gold. Necklaces, rings, an earring, the works! [If he's guilty.. He's certainly not trying to hide it..] Conan remarked to himself. He then turned back to a still calculating Kogoro, wondering [Now how am I gonna have the old man take notice..?] It also didn't help that Toru seemed to be eyeing Kogoro admirably the whole time, making it hard to divert unwanted attention to himself, so he simply decided to return to individual questioning..

Conan cautiously slinked up to Mrs. Wakahiso and stared intently at her somewhat concealed jewelry. "Gee! That's a pretty bracelet, Mrs. Wakahiso! May I see it?" He asked admirably.

"Huh?!" The sad looking woman suddenly turned her surprised attention to the boy, before adopting a gentle expression. "I'm sorry, dear, but that's a very delicate present my daughter bought for my birthday.." She continued, her voice trailing off sadly.

"Oh, did something happen to her?" Conan asked, sounding aloof.  
Wakahiso seemed reluctant to speak for a moment, before disclosing uneasily "She.. She died, dear.."

Conan adopted a sympathetic demeanor. "Oh, I'm very sorry.."

A slight smile returned to the woman's face. "Oh, that's alright, dear. It's not your fault.." She smoothly replied with a natural maternal warmth, which melted away just as soon as it had appeared.

[Hmm.. What could she mean by that?] Conan thought with a hint of conjecture, before focusing his attention on Mr. Tomohiro, still daintily carressing his large signet ring. With the same sense of inquisitiveness, Conan wandered over to him and began gazing at the jewelry as if in awe.

"Wow! That's a cool ring, Mister! May I see it?" He asked enthusiastically, grabbing at the man's wrist!

"HEY! LET GO OF THAT!" The older man shouted in alarm, brushing Conan's hands off with such vigor that there was a sudden *click* and the expensive looking blue jewel that sat right in the middle came clattering off! "AH! MY RING! You little brat!" He shouted furiously, grasping for the jewel on the floor.

"CONAN! What on Earth have you done?!" Ran demanded, becoming quite livid as she stormed up to him.

"Ran, I thought I told you to.." Kogoro began to growl in frustration.

"W..Wait, Ran.." Conan explained attempted to calm the girl's notorious temper "I just wanted to see that cool spy camera he has under his ring!"

Those involved all turned to Tomohiro with astonished faces.

"You're just like James Bond, Mr. Tomohiro!" Conan enthusiastically complimented the frightened looking man.

Suddenly, Toru yanked Tomohiro's wrist up to his eye level. "Let me see that!" He exclaimed.

"NO! WAIT!" The old man feverishly protested.

"A-HA! Take a look at THIS, Detective Mouri!" Toru boldly announced, giving Kogoro a close look at the ring. Sure enough, the space where the jewel stood was occupied by a miniature camera lens! "Just like the kind my fellow P.I.s use on really tough surviellance jobs! I believe we've found our culprit!" He arrogantly declared.

Kogoro found that hard to argue with. He gave a menacing stare at the man and questioned. "Well, Mr. Tomohiro, have anything to say to that?!"

"NO! NO, HONEST! I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS! I Was only going to peep on her! I MEAN IT!" Tomohiro practically erupted with the confession.

"HUH?!" The crowd wondered aloud at this.

"T..This building has been struggling for money for the last five years.. No matter WHICH act performs here.. I wasn't willing to give that up.." Tomohiro painfully explained to everyone, his voice beginning to trail off into a sheepish whisper "I.. I thought if I secretly sold pictures of Miss Okino... Un.. dressing.. to a tabloid.. It might give me an extra boost.."

All involved were horrified at this revelation. Particularly the women, but most especially, Kogoro.

Grabbing Tomohiro by the lapels, he proceeded to shout indignantly "As if this young lady hadn't already been through ENOUGH, you were going to sell nude photos of her?! I believe she'd like an APOLOGY!"

"I..I'm sorry Miss Okino.. I honestly am.." The old man muttered with a slumped posture. Yoko refused to even look at him. She just glanced away in an angry fashion.

"Security team, I think you know what to do with this depraved individual!" Kogoro barked, shoving the sheepish old man towards the officers.

"We sure do, Detective Mouri! This Scrooge has been docking our pay for every silly little thing!" One of the Officers affirmed, giving the man a vengeful glare.

Kogoro then turned to Toru with a cross between a smile and a sneer. "Well, kid. I.. I'd like to congratulate you for your help.." He said with as much grit as he could muster.

[HIS help?] Conan thought with resentment.

Toru simply beamed at this compliment, not seeming to pick up any of Detective Mouri's aggression. "Why, thank you, Detective Mouri! I learned from the best, after all!"

[Wait a minute.. Something's not right, here..] Conan suddenly thought to himself in a troubled way. [Why would Mr. Tomohiro bother to take nude pictures of the woman he was about to murder and risk being suspected and exposed.. That must mean.. OF COURSE! THAT'S how it must have happened!] He realized to himself! [The question is, how do I prove it? AH! I've got it!] Conan then tapped Ran on her bare leg.

"Conan, that's getting really annoying!" The girl reprimanded.

"But, Ran. I really want something to drink!" Conan whined.

"Oh, don't worry, Conan, I'll take you to the restaurant area!" Mrs. Wakahiso gently intervened, placing her hand on Conan's shoulder.

"Yay! Thanks, Mrs. Wakahiso!" Conan expressed his gratitude.

"Y'know, Detective Mouri, I'm quite parched myself. How about I buy you a drink?" Toru asked Kogoro.

The Detective gave a bit of a shrug and replied "Fine by me.. As long as the lovely Miss Okino would care to join us!" Becoming overtly aimiable again,

"Uh.. Y.. Yeah, sure.." Yoko replied somewhat nervously, yet polite. "Um, Ran, would you care to come along?" She asked.

"Of course, Miss Okino!" Ran replied with glee, before adopting a glare at her father "I'll be sure that Dad behaves himself!"

Kogoro simply muttered under his breath in a huff.

The (now empty) restaurant area was ritzy, a bright white room filled with red circular tables and red curtains. A snazzy red bar area stood at the side.

"Wooow! This place looks so pretty! Like something out of Alice in Wonderland!" Ran exclaimed with delight.

"Well, this is our White Rabbit and Red Queen restaurant, after all!" Mrs. Wakahiso explained, before turning to the space where Conan stood and began to ask "Now, Conan, what may I get..?" Only to see that he was no longer there! "HUH?! CONAN?!" She and Ran shouted.

To their horror, Conan was perched at the edge of the bar table near the soda taps!

"That's okay, Mrs. Wakahiso, I can get it!" He declared as though he were simply walking across the room.

"Ah! Conan, wait!" They both shouted as they rushed over.

"Mmm! This is my favorite!" Conan said with seemingly unaware satisfaction.

"Conan! Please get down from the..!" Mrs. Wakahiso began to plead, leaning up on her heels and reaching for him, then suddenly lost her balance, slipping and sliding her arm across the table! "WHOA!" She shouted.`

"Conan! Look what you've done!" Ran reprimanded Conan.

Then, acting as though aloof, Conan pointed with interest at the red countertop, "Ooh! There's that pretty color again!"

"Huh?" Ran asked, looking down.

Sure enough, the same gold streak was just visible enough! "Hey, Dad! Come over here!" Ran shouted.

Kogoro, Toru and Yoko came rushing over immediately, and Kogoro looked down in the direction Ran was pointing. "AH!" He exclaimed. "It's that same mark!" He then looked over at Mrs. Wakahiso, who was beginning to recoil in unease. "Let me see that bracelet!" He exclaimed, taking hold of her wrist!

"HEY!" Wakahiso protested.

"Dad! What are you..?!"Ran began to shout.

"THERE!" Kogoro exclaimed, viewing Wakahiso's gold bracelet. There was a distinctive demarcation wear across the chain. He then turned the bracelet around, and sure enough there was yet another sign of the worn off gold.

Ran gasped in surprise!

[Now you've got it, old man!] Conan thought encouragingly.

"W.. What are you accusing me of?!" Mrs. Wakahiso shouted defensively. "You've already exposed the culprit, and besides, that other mark could have come from anywhere!"

Conan noticed Kogoro beginning to cower nervously, he looked down, and sure enough, the same small black scuff marks were there plain as day! "Hey, Detective Mouri! There's those funny black squiggles again!" He pointed out.

All involved looked down to see the marks in question. Kogoro looked up and into Miss Wakahiso's startled eyes as arrogantly as possible. "MY, now isn't THAT a coincidence, Miss Wakahiso! The same kind of gold print on the countertop, and the very kind of black scuff marks upon the floor! Almost as if, say, someone were leaning forward to write a threatening message on a mirror! You slipped and left the very same type of marks with that necklace and those high heels! Just as you did right here, right now! I'm sure a simple chemical test will prove me right! So, DO tell us all, Miss Wakahiso, WHY did you attempt to KILL MISS OKINO?!" He explained before concluding with a roar of such intense fury, that the glasses at the bar practically shook!

Needless to say, everyone in the vicinity was spellbound and slackjawed, even Conan. [Wow. I didn't think he had it in him!] He remarked in thought.

Mrs. Wakahiso then slowly bowed her head out of contrition. "You know.. I never actually liked wearing these damn high heels.. I could never walk that well in them, and I should've known better than to attempt to reach the mirror in them.." She remarked nearly under her breath.

"W..Why..Why would you try to do this to me?!" Yoko demanded with a horrified and betrayed expression.

The woman leered up at the pop idol like an angry bear. "Because.. You killed Kyoko, you heartless,spoiled little BITCH!" She growled.

"What?! Your daughter?! But I didn't kill her! She committed suicide!" Yoko responded in disbelief.

"LIAR! IT was YOUR stealing of the song she had written with her OWN TWO HANDS that drove her to suicide, you brat!" Wakahiso shouted back.

"I stole her song?! How is that possible?!" Yoko asked with confusion.

"HMPH! As if you don't know! Kyoko had long wanted to be a pop star herself! She admired you! She actually took the time to write out the song "Emotion Sensation" and submitted it to your record company, and then TWO WEEKS LATER, it was your latest HIT! Not only THAT, it was accredited to YOU!" Wakahiso explained through her angry tears.

"WHAT? I didn't know that! My manager said that my usual arranger had written it!" Yoko earnestly replied.

At that same time, Ran looked in time to see Toji the manager attempting to sneak away! In a moment, she was on him in a moment, performing an expert takedown! "You're not going ANYWHERE, Buddy!" She reprimanded with righteous fury.

Turning her attention back to Yoko, Miss Wakahiso continued her accusation. "You couldn't believe how heartbroken she was! She couldn't believe that the woman she looked up to would just spit in her fan's face like that! She knew no one would believe her, and she just couldn't take anymore, so she committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills..No mother of such a PERFECT.. TALENTED child such as that should EVER have to go through that! Then.. That GLORIOUS day came when I learned that you would be appearing here... An opportunity for revenge.. The plan was hatched.. I set the situation up where I send Yoko threatening letters to seem like a stalker, then, in disguise, I leave the fruit basket supposedly from the staff in the lobby early in the morning. After showing up for work, I set an alarm on my phone to make it appear that my husband had called, sneaked to the dressing room, used some stage paint on the mirror to tie it to the letters.. Then drove off to dispose of the evidence.. My only mistake was wearing bracelet my daughter gave me herself.."

"NO!" Yoko suddenly countered with a furious shout that knocked everyone for a loop. "Your MISTAKE was becoming an attempted MURDERER without even bothering to look into what had happened! I treasure each and every one of my fans and would NEVER steal ANYTHING from ANY of them.. YOU soiled the memory of your daughter simply for a taste of misguided revenge! How wold SHE have felt about THIS?!" The famous young woman fired back with tears beginning to well up in her own eyes.

All Wakahiso could do is lower her body to fall to the floor, and begin sobbing relentlessly.

"Are.. Are you sure that you really want to go on with your show after all that, Yoko?" Ran asked with a sense of apprehension as she, Conan, Kogoro and Toru stood backstage with her.

Yoko, now dressed in her frilly pink performance dress, simply gave Ran a warm, reassuring smile. "Like I said, Ran, I treasure each and every one of my fans! I wouldn't let them down for the world!" She then turned to Kogoro with a gratetful expression. "But I never would have been able to do so in the first place thanks to you, Detective Mouri!" She expressed sweetly.

"Oh, you're quite welcome, Miss Okino.." Kogoro replied in the most sultry voice possible, beginning to make an obnoxious kissing motion with his lips, which Yoko reacted to in a confused, nervous manner.

"There you are, you jerk!" Came the gruff, loud but youthful voice that Conan knew all too well. Sure enough, he turned to see Genta, Mitsuhiko and Ayumi standing in the doorway with extremely cross expressions.

"AH! H..How did you guys get back here!" Conan exlaimed with a mouth so wide, his uvula was practically visible!

"We said we were friends with Detective Mouri.. And AAAAH!" MItsuhiko began to sourly explain, before catching sight of Yoko! "LOOK, GUYS, IT'S YOKO OKINO!"

Genta and Ayumi's angry expressions immediately rose to unabashed star struck glee! "WOOOW! YOKO!" They wailed with elation.

"H..Hello, everybody!" The idol singer giggled nervously with a friendly smile and wave.

"Why didn't you tell us you were visiting Yoko at her big concert?!" Ayumi asked vivaciously.

"Well, I didn't want to.. Uh.. spoil the big surprise about getting us all a backstage view of the big show!" Conan spontaneously explained.

"Conan!" Ran reprimanded.

"Oh, that's alright, Ran. Friends of Detective Mouri are friends of mine! Right, Detective Mouri?" Yoko graciously responded with her hundred thousand yen smile.

"R..Right..Yoko!" Kogoro replied with gritted teeth in one of the frightening fake smiles as he resisted the urge to pound Conan atop his head.

"Oh, Conan! You're the greatest!" Ayumi squealed with excitement, and gave Conan a large smooch on his cheek! Conan blushed so red that his face could be mistaken for a cherry. Genta and Mitsuhiko weren't the least bit jealous this time, as they were enarmored with Yoko's prescence.

"Hey, guys, where's Haibara, by the way?" Conan asked.

"Ah, she went back home.. Something about wanting to keep an eye on things or somethin'!" Genta casually replied over his shoulder.

"Huh? Now what could she have meant by that..?" Conan said to himself.

Toru then turned with a humbled expression towards Kogoro. "Detective Mouri, I am most terribly sorry for my incorrect deduction.. My poor sense of judgement nearly led to the culprit getting away with her crime.." He apologized, bowing his head with a sense of regret. "I should never have attempted to match wits with such a skilled and brilliant investigative mind such as yours!"

[Let's just remember who HELPED him come to those conclusions..] Conan mocked in his mind.

"Well, young man, the more you practice, the much more experience you recieve.." Kogoro muttered in Toru's direction.

"Heh.. Funny you should mention that, Detective Mouri.. Because I would like to propose to study under you for on the job P.I. training, as YOUR APPRENTICE!" Toru brazenly proposed, lifting his head again with a boyish smile.

"What?!" Ran exclaimed in confusion.

"HUH?!" Conan gasped with a deep sense of concern.

Kogoro was just as perturbed. "Forget it, Kid, I don't give lessons!" He balked grouchily.

"Oh, don't worry.. I don't require any food or living arrangements, and if you're concerned about money.." Toru vigorously assured him, before leaning over and covertly whispering into his ear.

The Yen signs that practically filled Kogoro's eyes couldn't have been any bigger! He immediately threw his arm around the young man's shoulder, braying loud and elatedly. "Well, Amuro, my fair pupil, I'd be MORE than happy to take you under my wing and teach you the finer points of crime solving under MASTER DETECTIVE, KOGORO MOURI!"

Ran was bemused to say the least. But Conan was even more wary.

[This isn't good.. What's this guy's deal, and why's he's so eager to be the old man's apprentice? How am I going to be able to lay out clues for him with THIS guy on my back as well..? I have a bad feeling about this whole thing..] Conan thought with a look of alarm in his eyes.

Ai Haibara stood in front of the window in the bedroom she shared with her guardian, Professor Agasa, her eyes staring with wide inspective disquietude next door at the house formerly owned by High School detective Shinichi Kudo.. Out of the corner of the bedroom window, she could swear to see the silhouette of the current occupant.

"So.. This is how it is.." The girl said quietly to herself, her eyes returning to their usual cold glare. "Subaru.. Okiya.."

TO BE CONTINUED...


	15. Chapter 15

"But, Shinichi, Christmas is a few days away! We haven't seen one another in months!" Ran Mouri pleaded aggresively into the reciever.

In an alleyway down the street, freezing his butt off in the late December cold, Conan Edogawa spoke into his cellphone using Professor Agasa's voice changing bow-tie to give an honest reply to Ran in his formerly teenaged voice. "I'm sorry, Ran, but I just can't give out my exact location right now.. If the people I'm investigating me found that address, they'd get me for sure! You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"But, Shinichi, I've been working on this sweater and hat since late autumn and I'd really like for you to recieve them! I even made the hat look like Sherlock Holmes' hunting cap! I did that for YOU!" She griped exasperatedly.

[She never bothered to ask me if that's what I even wanted.] Conan groaned internally. "Look.." He began to reason. "I can't promise that I can recieve it soon, but there may eventually come a moment.."

"OH, JUST FORGET IT!" Ran suddenly shouted, nearly deafening him over the phone! "I go through the trouble of KNITTING for you, and you just BLOW ME OFF! Well, that's IT! You'll NEVER get ANOTHER present from me, EVER!" She concluded in an extremely cross voice, before hanging up.

"AH! Ran, WAIT!" Conan began to interject, only to be met with the cold, harsh silence of a lost connection. The bland "CALL ENDED" sign stared at him, as if accusingly. [Grr.. DAMN.. DAMN the ORGANIZATION!] Conan screamed internally, wanting so much to let it out verbally, that his small lungs were nearly bursting with tension. As he trudged off through the thick, snow covered sidewalk, back to the agency , he continued to think with an infuriated expression, as he noted several young lovers, clinging closely to each other, which only made him seethe even more.

[Look at all of them.. Christmas is yet another season where lovers can get together, and because of that DAMN Organization shrinking me, my relationship with Ran is becoming more and more strained! GRR! All these months.. All these months.. If only that damn Bourbon would show himself already! Hell, I'd even meet Gin face to face if I had to! Maybe.. Maybe, I'll just stay out here in the cold and get sick.. Then, all I have to do is snatch one of Haibara's pills and I'll be able to give Ran the best Christmas wish she'd ever had..] He continued to think grimly to himself as he jogged up the steps and opened the door..

"IT WAS YOU!" Toru Amuro, Kogro's recently hired apprentice, dressed in a black sweater, a look of determined prosecution leveled his finger at Conan, practically charging at him!

"Wh..WHA?!" Conan recoiled with fright. His eyes flaring.

"Oh, uh.. S..Sorry Conan!" Toru sheepishly apologized with a nervous smile. "Detective Mouri was teaching me how to properly pose while accusing a suspect, and I just got a little carried away, I suppose.."

"Oh, that's okay Mr. Amuro!" Conan reassured him, while thinking [I'll bet the old man told you to do that..]

Conan irritably walked inside the agency, where Kogoro was standing in a relaxed position with a smarmy grin on his face. "Great job, Amuro, I must say! You gave that little brat a start, so you can imagine how a hardened criminal would!" He boistrously stated.

[Glad you appreciate all those hints I dropped for you..] Conan griped inwardly.

"CONAN!" Came Ran's sonic-boom shout of indignation that nearly deafened everyone within. "Come over here!"

"What did you do NOW, you little twerp?!" Kogoro wondered with a wince as he rubbed his sore ears.

Conan felt he was walking the death row mile on the way to Ran's bedroom. For a girl with both an almighty temper, and the ability to cleave a dresser in half with a karate chop, this did NOT seem like it would be a pleasant experience.

Ran stood right in the doorway, glaring down at him menacingly, with her hands behind her back.

[Oh, no.. What.. What did I do?] Conan thought, completely tensing up.

"Here! Put this on!" She abruptly ordered, before quickly shoving down a large peice of colored material on top of him!

Conan at first thought the girl had snapped and was trying to smother him, only to have his head pop up through a hole at the top! "Huh?" He exclaimed, lifting up the oversized sleeves, realizing that he was wearing an oversized red and green candy cane pattern sweater! The lights went out again as an oversized hat was placed over his head and eyes.

"Now come over here!" She barked, practically yanking Conan's arms out of his sockets and lifting him up to her vanity mirror. "Don't you think Shinichi would have looked nice in this sweater and hat?!" She pleaded angrily, tears in her eyes betraying the sense of fury.

[Ran.. I'm so sorry..] Conan thought, as he looked at her with a tremendous sense of regret. Quickly, he adopted his childlike disposition "Yeah! These are really nice looking, Ran! You did a great job!" He said, attempting to sound as sincere as possible.

Ran then gave Conan a congienial smile. "Oh, Thank you so much, Conan!" Before gently setting him down and looking at herself in the mirror in a rather discouraged manner. "Conan.. Would you think I was a little silly if I told you something..?" She asked earnestly, not even bothering to look down.

"U..N..No.." Conan stammered, cautious of what she might ask.

Ran was silent for a moment, before continuing with her forlorn expression "Do you think that that Christmas wishes come true?"

"Huh?" Conan exclaimed, confused.

"I mean, you know. Making a wish during Christmas.." Ran explained.

"Oh, you mean like asking Santa for something?" Conan asked in an infantile fashion.

Ran looked back at Conan with a friendly beam. "Yeah, sort of.. I mean.. Just turning thoughts into.. You know, the person you're thinking of.."

[Ran..] Conan reflected with a sense of conviction.

Quickly composing herself, Ran then adopted an energetic grin, cheerfully announcing "Well, Conan, I've finally scraped enough money to buy my Mom a nice Christmas present, so I'm going down to the mall to pick it up with Sonoko and.. Masumi" She concluded by leaning down and whispering to Conan with her hand to her mouth.

[Really subtle Ran.. Not suspicious looking at all..] Conan thought sarcastically to himself.

[MESSAGE SENT] The screen on FBI Agent Tony Doyle's cellphone informed as the well built American with a bushy moustache and a reddish brown crew-cut stood in the freezing cold near the entrance to the mall, looking around cautiously, yet not trying to attract any attention, which was difficult. Occasionally, he would get the group of young women passing by and giggling at the handsome foreigner, but the whole matter made him feel too exposed.. They would have to wait. He was headed inside where there was some decent heating. As he turned to walk, for all his observancy, he failed to take note of the white Subaru 360 in the front of the parking lot.

Inside, the mysterious, reserved Subaru Okiya sat, staring at Doyle through his eyeglasses , his hands relaxed gently atop the steering wheel. His lips suddenly curled upward in a sinister looking smirk..

"WHAAT?! You met her again?!" Masumi, still in her full on "Hiroki" masculine dress: A grey sweater with black leather jacket, black jeans and snow boots and her black fedora, couldn't help her rather feminine exclamation at Ran's revelation as the three girls and Conan walked down the busy sidewalk.

"Well.. Uh.. Y..Yeah.." Ran replied with a somewhat nervous blush, hoping she wouldn't attract too much attention.

"Mas.. Uh.. Hiroki, you have to realize that Ran's Dad is a famous detective, so he mingles with celebrities like Yoko all the time.." Sonoko, dressed in a somewhat flashy designer jacket, told Masumi subtley under her breath, before getting right up into Ran's face and clamored in a not so quiet voice "But, seriously, Ran, tell me.. Did she admit to going out on tour with Yuko?!"

"SHH! Sonoko!" Ran scolded her friend, who recoiled with shame, before continuing quietly. "No, I asked her, but she was kind of reluctant to answer.. I think it was sort of a one-time-only thing.."

"Yeah, but still, it's awesome that you know her well enough to get a close seat at her show!" Masumi whispered with an envious tone.

[You weren't the one standing backstage with three little kids screaming next to you..] Conan thought sardonically.

"Hey, maybe the next time, we can share a couple of CLOSE seats, honey.." Masumi teased in a masculine voice, grabbing Ran and clasping her close.

"Oh, PLEASE, Hiroki! We're so young!" Ran countered in an overdramatic voice, pulling away.

The girls laughed at their little skit, Conan was not amused. [Why does she think pretending to be a boy gives her the right to GRAB her like that..?] He seethed.

"Well, here we are." Ran stated as they approached the mall's entrance.

"YAY! I'm gonna see Santa!" Conan exclaimed, feigning juvenile adulation.

"Did we HAVE to bring HIM along?" Sonoko grumbled, annoyed.

"Hey, C'mon, Conan's a Cool Guy.. Am I right?" Masumi defended, before leaning down to Conan and asked, winking.

"U..Uh, yeah.." Conan responded timidly, while thinking [If this girl IS Akai's sister, did he tell her everything?] with an extremely apprehensive expression.

As they entered, the girls were immediately taken by the incredibley eye-catching elaborate interior decorations. "WOOOW! So pretty! Look at that long, beautiful holly wreath stretching all around the ceiling!" Ran admired.

"That big ice fairy looks SO majestic! I'll have to ask Daddy for one! Oooh! Makoto and I could be married beside it on our wedding day!" Sonoko swooned with romantic passion.

[Oh, boy...] Conan groused, before looking up at Masumi, who seemed to be preoccupied with looking around the immediate area, as if attempting to locate someone in a crowd. He tapped her upon the leg. "Hey, Hiroki, what are you looking for?" He inquired.

"Oh.. I'm.. I'm just trying to locate the area where Santa is.." She replied in a faltering voice, as if caught off guard, arousing his suspicion.

"Cool! I can't wait to tell Santa what I want for Christmas!" Conan once again innocently sounded off.

"Great! Because we're going to see him together while Ran and Sonoko go shopping!" Masumi gleefully replied as if to screw around with him.

[Oh great..] Conan groaned internally, before realizing [Still, at least she's not around Ran right now, and I'll have an opportunity to find out more about this girl.. And Shuichi..] He thought determinedly.

"Wait a minute, Masumi. I'm perfectly capable of taking Conan myself." Ran calmly interjected. "Besides, I don't think Conan should go with someone he doesn't know too well.."

"Oh, Ran, please don't worry. I'll keep him perfectly safe!" Masumi reassured her.

"Yes, Ran, I really like Hiroki! Don't worry, he's a detective!" Conan joined in the comforting, before reluctantly stating "Just like Shinichi!"

This seemed to give Ran confidence. She smiled warmly and replied "Okay, Conan! I trust you'll be alright! See you later and have fun with Santa!" With a friendly wave.

[That smile.. That smile of hers was so familiar..] Conan reflected with a sense of unease in his thoughts.

"Are you nervous, Conan?" Masumi asked with seemingly genuine concern.

"O..Only a little bit.." Conan responded quite earnestly.

Once they had reached the area on the lower level that housed the Santa area, where there was a pretty predictibly long line of agitated parents and screaming or crying children leading up to a pleasant scene of a snowbank with Santa's "throne" surrouded by candy canes and jolly looking gingerbread men.. enough sacchrine cuteness to make Conan want to puke. If he had known it would be Masumi taking him, he probably wouldn't have caused such a fuss with his childhood act.. But an opportunity was an opportunity..

"You don't have to go to the bathroom, do you Conan?" Masumi asked with a sense of wariness.

"No, I'm okay.." Conan replied. He then looked up at Masumi seriously and asked "Hiroki, did your brother ever take you to places like this?"

"Huh? Oh.." Masumi answered somewhat uneasily, before continuing in a soft, reserved way "No.. My mother would usually do so. My brother was much older, and he would always be off doing his own thing.."

"Is he the one who gave you that hat?" Conan asked cautiously.

Another pause. "Yes.. It used to be his.." She finally replied.

"Did.. Did he ever mention me?" Conan asked.

Before Masumi could even answer, the shriek of one of the cartoonishly dressed "Elf Helpers" cut through like nails on a chalkboard. "SAAAANTAA! The children are WAITING!"

The shrill voice came from a rail thin bleached blonde, overly made up and grouchy looking woman in her mid-twenties decored in a garishly festive red and green "elf" costume, complete with artificial pointy ears.

"Now, now, Yurika. We must keep our voices down. We don't want to upset the children.." A rather plump woman in her early thirties with short, black hair, also in an elf costume, softly rebuked her.

"Lay off, Suzuko! He's YOUR Dad.. YOU get him out then!" Yurika snapped back harshly.

Undeterred, Suzuko turned to the increasingly hostile looking crowd and bowed apologetically. "I'm so terribly sorry, everybody.. But Santa seems to be a little busy.." She began to explain.

"That's enough! My little boy has been waiting to see Santa for a half-hour! We have other things to do!" A rather irate woman at the front shouted.

"YEAH!" "WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!" "WAAAH! I WANNA SEE SANTA!" Came affirmations from the other parents and children in line.

"Okay.. Okay.. One moment, please!" Suzuko nervously appealed, before rushing over to the workshop and yanking open the door, losing all cheerful pretext. "Daddy, please get out here right..!" The woman pleaded in a distressed voice before gasping with horrified surprise. "WHAT are you DOING in there?!" She demanded in a rather audible voice.

"Ju..Jusht tryyyyin to shtay waaarmm, izzzall.." Came an intoxicated man's slur from inside.

What followed was what seemed to be Suzuko harshly reprimanding her father in a whisper, occasionally being heard to clearly say "..Not supposed to be drinking on the job..!" "..What they said..!" Then, as Suzuko emerged with a drunken Santa supported on her shoulder, as the children began to cheer with glee.

Just then, a third elf, walked into the area, a rather pale, irritated looking young lady with heavy black eyeliner, long, frizzy black hair and black lipstick. "I can't go on break for ONE HOUR without something stupid happening?!" She growled.

"SHH! Quiet, Rikako! Help me get Daddy to the breakroom!" Suzuko ordered.

"Why do I have to? It's HIS fault!" Rikako countered.

"Just help me, okay!" Suzuko hissed under her breath.

Rikako grimaced with hatred as she stepped forward and supported Santa's other shoulder.

Yurika, an even more derivative expression on her face, approached the crowd and said with as little enthusiasm as possible "Sorry, everybody, but Santa's not feeling very well. Please come back... Whenever.."

"WELL!" "YOU PEOPLE CAN GO TO HELL!" "I'M WRITING TO YOUR MANAGER!" "MOMMY! WHAT'S WRONG WITH SANTA?!" "BE QUIET, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" Came more shouts from the crowd as they angrily dispersed.

Masumi then turned to Conan with a jaded expression, asking "How about going to the bathroom now?"

"But do you really think your Mom will want that? I mean, she's probably got a hundred thousand of those, already." Sonoko griped, pointing at the small shopping bag, Ran was carrying.

"She does NOT!" Ran countered defensively. "Besides, if I get her a gift that's too large or expensive looking, she always complains that I'm spending too much on her.. I only think she's like that because she'd like a nice present from Dad."

Suddenly, Ran was distracted by a familiar face approaching in the opposite direction. It was Jodie Starling, the American FBI Agent, along with her quite bulky looking partner, Agent Andre Camel.

"Ah! Miss Jodie!" Ran called out.

"Ah! R.. Ran!" Jodie responded, taken aback.

"I didn't expect to see you here!" Ran said pleasantly.

"N..Neither did I.." Jodie said, forcing a polite smile,although still uneasy.

"Uhh.. Who.. Who's THIS, Miss Jodie..?" Sonoko asked unsteadily, referring to Camel.

"Oh.. Uh, th..this is Andre Camel, my boyfriend!" Jodie spontaneously replied, embracing Andre in a loving fashion, much to his surprise.

Both girls were quite confounded as well.

"Oh, you.. You and Mr. Camel are.. together, now..?" Ran asked somewhat bewildered.

"Oh, boy.. He must be VERY rich.. At least he'd better be.." Sonoko mumbled under her breath.

"Sonoko, SHH!" Ran reprimanded, before turning back to the two "That's lovely! So what brings you two here, might I ask? Are you going to be staying in Japan after all, Miss Jodie?" She asked.

"Oh, we were just meeting up with a.. a friend, is all.." Camel quickly conjured an answer, still recovering from his nervous blush.

"Gee.. I wonder from what department?" Sonoko muttered.

Ran gave her a disciplinary nudge.

Just then, the four witnessed two security guards rushing past in a hurry!

"Hey, wh.. what's going on?" Ran asked, concerned.

"The restroom area, ma'am. Someone's dead." One guard turned and replied while in mid-stride.

"What?!" The girl exclaimed with unease.

"C..Camel.. You don't think..?" Jodie asked in a worried voice.

"I hope not!" He responded as the two jolted off in the direction of the guards.

"Wha..What's going on, Ran?" Sonoko asked with a slight tinge of worry.

As soon as the two agents arrived outside the restroom area, a large crowd of bystanders had already gathered outside, security guards doing their best to hold them back. Conan and Masumi were being questioned by the guards.

"What's going on here?! What's happened?!" Jodie demanded.

"Please, Ma'am. There seems to have been an incident inside.." One of the guards tried to dissuade her.

"Miss Jodie?" Conan asked aloud.

At this, Masumi reacted with a start, first looking at Conan, then at Jodie with a sense of shock and recognition.

"Oh, Conan, it's you! Did something happen in there?" Jodie asked gently.

Conan stared up at her sadly and began to report "Yes, Miss Jodie.. There was a lot of blood. I believe it was a foreign.."

The words were barely out of Conan's mouth, when Jodie suddenly bolted inside the open bathroon door! [It cant be.. It.. It can't!] She thought frantically.

"Miss, stop! That's an active crime scene!" A guard tried to shout in vain.

The moment Jodie entered the restroom, her heart stopped cold. There, sitting in a stall, a pistol in his hand, and a bleeding wound in his head, was the obviously deceased, Agent Doyle. A ghastly death grimace on his face.

"N..No.. NO!" Jodie screamed at the top of her voice with emotion, as an officer came up behind her, and gently began to lead her from the room.

"Ma'am, please, you must stay out here and calm yourself." He comforted as the two came back out the door.

"Everyone, please stay right here and wait for the Police to.." Was all the guard managed to announced, before a loud, female scream echoed throughout the building.

"Huh?! Now what?!" The Guard exclaimed with surprise.

"AH! That was Ran!" Conan proclaimed out loud before dashing off in the scream's direction.

"Conan! Wait!" Masumi shouted and gave chase.

Conan, moving faster than he had in a while, his feet pounding on the tile floor of the upper level, raced down an escalator to the approxomite area he had heard. [If she's been hurt, I'll never forgive myself] Conan thought in a panic, adrenaline rushing through his veins, but as he came upon the location, despite seeing both Ran and Sonoko apparently fine, although frightened, he was startled at what they were looking at..

There, in front of the young women was the body of the mall Santa, his hat and beard removed, showing his middle aged face, frozen in a death stare, with a deep, bleeding gash in his throat. 


	16. Chapter 16

"The first victim is Anthony Doyle, 38, an American FBI Agent, which.. I'm surprised to see is still operating in Japan without our knowledge.." Inspector Megure stated in a very surly tone.

At the crowd's reaction to this, Jodie walked closer to Megure and replied snappishly "As I've said, Megure, we'd appreciate it if you kept this under wraps. Our reasons for being here need to remain of the utmost secrecy."

"What makes it so secret that Japan's OWN government can't be involved in?!" Megure shot back, albeit in a more reserved tone.

"Maybe our Chief could fill you in, once you meet all the proper security precautions!" Jodie answered, very firm and authoritative.

Detective Sato, an irritated expression on her face stepped in like a fight referee "Alright, calm down the both of you!" She admonished, before turning to Jodie. "Look, Miss Jodie, we WILL respect your need to keep your presence known here to an extent, but the fact is, two men have lost their lives here and we must find out if they are linked together. So, you see there are certain details that our department MUST be let in on.." She explained with great gravity.

"Very well." Jodie replied reluctantly. Agent Camel looked over and gave her a reassuring smile.

Masumi, meanwhile, continued to stare at Jodie intently.

"Now, the second victim was 62 year old Yuichi Kokuryu, a part time Mall Santa and was previously an accountant before becoming unemployed due to corruption charges." Megure explained before turning to a still shaken looking Ran and Sonoko. "Ran and Sonoko, you two were the ones who found Mr. Kokuryu's body, correct?"

"Y..Yes, that's right.." Ran replied in a mournful voice.

"Could you possibly explain how you came across it?" Megure pressed gently.

"W.. Well, we heard that there had been a body discovered by the security guards, and I was worried about Conan, so Sonoko and I started to follow after them to the lower level, but then, as we turned a corner, we saw the man's body laying there. We weren't sure how long he'd been dead, but it couldn't have been very long, as the Security guards didn't see it." Ran clarified.

Megure then turned to two of the female elf helpers, the thin bleached blonde Yurika, and the plump, short haired Suzuko. "And you two were the last to see Mr. Kokuryu alive?" He asked.

"Yes.. My name is Yurika Tokui, and this is Mr. Kokuryu's daughter, Suzuko.. We were employed as his helpers." Yurika answered very distantly.

"And where did you two last see Mr. Kokuryu?" Megure inquired.

"Well.. You see.. Mr. Kokuryu had become intoxicated on the job, so we left him to sober up in the break room.. But there was actually a third.." Yurika began to explain, when suddenly, there came the sound of a young woman shouting "GET OFF! Get your hands off me, you pigs!"

Those present turned around to see the pasty white, black lipstick wearing Santa's helper, now adorned in a black dress with a skull and crossbones silver necklace around her shoulders. She was being hustled into the area by two security guards.

"What's going on here?!" Megure demanded.

"Inspector, you asked us to round up those present who were involved with the deceased. We were informed that this woman was an employee. We caught her trying to leave out a back exit." One of the guards explained.

"I was ONLY trying to leave that way because my CAR was out there, you jerkoff!" The woman spat derisively, struggling vigorously against the guards' grip. "Leave me alone! I had NOTHING to do with this!"

"WE'LL be the judges of that! What's your name, Ma'am?" Megure asked assertively.

"Figure it out yourself!" The woman snarled petulantly.

"Rikako, please!" Yurika interjected, before explaining to Megure "Inspector, this is Rikako Ohara. She's a college student and was another one of the helpers. She also helped us take Mr. Kokuryu to the back room."

"Alright, then, Miss Ohara. Where exactly were you at the time of Mr. Kokuryu's death?" Megure interrogated.

"Getting as far away from his perverted corpse as possible! Now let me the Hell out of here!" Rikako growled with venom.

Conan reacted with intense curiosity to her remark.

"How would you like to be locked up on an obstruction of justice charge?!" Megure bellowed.

"Go ahead and toss me in! You'll only get a wrongful arrest charge!" Rikako screeched back. "I didn't kill him, I just said that I'm glad he's.."

[SLAP]

The strike of a wrathful looking Suzuko's palm meeting Rikako's cheek sounded like a thunderclap.

"OUCH! What the HELL did you do THAT for?!" The livid young lady demanded.

"Don't you EVER talk about my father that way again!" Suzuko growled lividly, her teeth on edge.

Again, Conan took careful assessment of the actions in play.

"Well, it's the TRUTH, Dammit! That lewd scum put his hands all over me!" Rikako declared fervently.

"Is this true, Miss Kokuryu?" Megure asked suspiciously.

"Well.. Ye..Yes, but only to a degree.. It was only when he was very drunk.." Suzuko nervously admitted.

"Which was pretty much EVERY DAY!" Rikako hollered indignantly.

"YOU LIAR!" Suzuko countered with extreme force in her shout.

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! ENOUGH from both of you!" Megure interjected, stepping in between the two irate women. "This isn't a family therapy session, it's a murder investigation." Composing himself, he continued. "Now, who was it exactly that located Mr. Doyle's body in the restroom?"

"Mas.." Conan began unwittingly, an annoyed stare from Masumi quickly corrected him "Uh.. Ma..Master Detective Hiroki did, Inspector!" He corrected himself in a childish way, before thinking [Whew.. Better get used to calling her that name..]

"Oh, you again, huh..?" Megure asked irritated at Hiroki's presence.

"Yep! You heard the kid, Inspector! Master Detective, Hiroki Sera, at your service!" Masumi beamed with pride.

"HUH?!" Jodie exclaimed, suddenly becoming alert as she stared at the eager young man (At least It seemed to her.) [Sera.. What.. No.. It's.. It's just a coincidence..] She thought, attempting to calm herself.

"And what.. exactly did you see.. Uh.. Mr. Sera..?" The Inspector asked, unenthused.

"Well, I can't tell for sure, yet, but he appears to have committed suicide.." Masumi responded grimly.

"That's not true!" Jodie furiously interjected. "He'd texted Camel and I earlier to meet up with us here, as he had something to tell us!"

"Really? Now that's interesting.. Mr. Master Detective.." Megure stated, looking at Masumi accusingly.

"I..I DID say it was early in the investigation, Inspector!" Masumi defended nervously.

"So, Miss Jodie, what exactly WERE you and.. Mr. Camel here to meet Mr. Doyle about?" Megure pried suspiciously.

Jodie paused apprehensively.

"Go ahead, Miss Jodie." Detective Sato reassured calmly.

"Well.." Jodie began uneasily, chewing at the growing conflicted emotions she felt. "You recall the case with Agent Bennett? Our other friend who died on those train tracks?" She continued in a low, reserved voice.

"Hey, I remember that man! He was really nice, but very nervous looking." Conan suddenly declared.

"Ah.. Y..Yes, Conan. That's right." Jodie replied, off-edge. "Well, remember how he'd received a message from Mr. Bennett's smart phone AFTER he'd been killed? Well, he'd been able to retrieve the records from Bennett's provider, and the GPS location was narrowed down to an old, run down factory on the outskirts of Shinjuku. He traveled there and did some investigating and although he didn't find any obvious clues, he did find a few mineral related items that let him to believe that the freezer used to Bennett's body had been housed there." She explained.

[AH! That's right! The technique the Organization used to freeze Agent Bennett's body near the tracks and make it appear as if he'd committed suicide!] Conan realized with surprise.

"AH! T..They did?!" Megure exclaimed.

"SHH!" Jodie reprimanded. Megure very casually cowered back.

She continued "Yes.. But at the same time, he began to believe they'd realized he'd been sneaking around there and were starting to stalk him, but every time we'd send a team out to investigate, we couldn't find any sign of them. In the meantime, he'd been doing a little detective work and believed he'd come across a lead in the whole affair, and wanted to speak to us about it in a public place. What with the FBI agents involved with the.. Hospital incident.. He figured that being on of the Agents in the transport convoy alongside Bennett that had been attacked, that he may be targeted next."

"And he'd never had any form of suicidal tendencies..?" Megure tepidly suggested.

'Of course not! Doyle was one of the bravest Agents I've known! He wouldn't run from something like this!" Jodie forcefully defended.

Masumi continued to view this affair with a calculating, secretive expression. Something that Conan managed to catch sight of. [Huh? What's she thinking of? Does she know something about this?] He thought with mild concern.

"Miss Kokuryu, have you ever seen Mr. Doyle before? I.. I could have an artist draw a sketch.." Megure began to ask.

"Are you calling Tony a murderer?!" Jodie fiercely interjected.

"Uh..N..No.. I just.." Megure stammered, backing up nervously.

"Miss, Jodie. Please calm down. It's just procedural." Detective Takagi reassured her, before turning to Suzuko. "Well, Miss Kokuryu?" He asked.

"Uh.. N..No.. Father didn't have a lot of foreign clients or friends." Suzuko very quietly replied.

"Besides, Inspector, remember what Miss Mouri told us. Security responding to Mr. Doyle's death had been in the same area the body was found right before it appeared. It's unlikely the two are connected." Detective Sato pointed out.

"Hmm.. Very well." Megure responded. "We'd better continue to investigate his apparent suicide. Detectives, Question the suspects involved with Mr. Kokuryu's murder, and have the security footage brought up so we can try to locate anything."

"Yes, Sir." The Detectives responded in unison.

"Um, Inspector.. May I help to investigate as well? I was the one to find the body, after all." Masumi suggested.

"Very well." Megure flatly responded.

As they moved off towards the bathroom area, Conan thought stoically to himself [I didn't even get to see the body. Masumi, in her attempt to protect me, shoved me outside! Time to do an actual investigation!] Noticing that Ran was distracted, speaking to Sonoko, Conan dashed off in pursuit.

The scene was just as gruesome as before. Megure and the forensics team looked Doyle's body over for the minutest of details, while Masumi stood some ways back.

"Hmm.. I don't understand.. Miss Jodie claimed that the victim wasn't suicidal, yet the body has the position and wounds consistent with suicide." Megure stated.

"I don't think so, Inspector." Came a familiar voice behind them. All turned to see Conan inspecting the body with careful scrutiny.

"CONAN! Get out of here! This is a crime scene and you may be tampering with evidence! Megure chastised.

"But, Inspector, look at the area around his mouth.." Conan declared,pointing, to which Megure reluctantly looked back "I'd imagine that the end of a gun gets really hot, but if he put the gun in his mouth to kill himself, wouldn't his mouth be all burned?"

"Hmm.." The Inspector pondered before ordering one of the forensics men, "Check the victim's face for gunpowder residue." Before turning to Conan and asking suspiciously "Tell me Conan, how would you know something about gun suicides?"

"Uhh.. I saw it on T.V.!" Conan improvised his response quickly, beginning to perspire a bit.

"Well, they're showing kids too many violent things on T.V. these days.." Megure remarked to himself.

"WOW! That was amazing work, Cool Guy! You're just as good as Detective Mouri!" Masumi leaned over and congratulated Conan, vigorously tousling his hair.

[Knock it off..] Conan thought irritably to himself. Suddenly, he looked down at the floor in the middle of the stall. There was a peculiarly shaped blood splotch in the area in front of Doyle's body. "Hey, Inspector. That's a funny looking shape of blood." He called out to Megure in a curious childish fashion.

"Huh?" Megure asked, confused.

"Look, see? It's like something was blocking it." Conan directed Megure's attention to the oddly shaped mark that appeared to have a half-circle notch dug into it.

"Was this here when you found the body, Hiroki?! You didn't tamper with this?!" Megure clamored aggressively.

"N.. NO!" Masumi stammered defensively.

"Alright. We seem to have a possible homicide on our hands." Megure grimly estimated. "Now, all we have to do is wait for the.."

Suddenly, a young security guard came rushing to the doorway. "Inspector.. Inspector.. The security video is ready for you to review.." He said, attempting to catch his breath.

"Very well.. Let's see who's responsible for this.." Megure stated authoritatively.

In the dimmed security room, now joined by Jodie and Camel, Megure, Conan and Masumi viewed the scene of the security camera's video playback view of the bathroom entrance area on a monitor. The guard running the board stated "Alright. Here he is.."

All became attentive as sure enough, Doyle, looking suspiciously about his surroundings, entering the bathroom, then suddenly, a mysterious, well -built man dressed in a black jacket, pants and baseball cap with sunglasses and a masko, leaned over from behind a corner and waltzed in, almost nonchalantly after him!

"AH!" All exclaimed in spontaneous unison.

"That must be the culprit!" Megure announced.

The security officer then advanced the tape to a moment five and a half minutes later, only to see the masko-ed suspect making a hasty exit out the door and out towards the entrance way.

"Get me all of the footage of the suspect's exit! I want to know which vehicle he used!" Megure commanded.

Jodie could only stand still with an expression between sorrow and frustration on her face. "No.. Not.. Not again.." She muttered to herself.

[It.. It was THEM.. It.. It must be..] Conan pondered. An ice cold feeling of dread coming over his body. [How.. How are we going to solve both of these cases?]

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	17. Chapter 17

"Well.. What are the suspect's stories?" Megure asked half patiently, standing in front of the three Santa's Helpers and the Detectives who'd been questioning them.

Detective Takagi stepped forward first. "According to Miss Takui, after she helped to put Mr. Kokuryu in the back room, she went back to the locker room to adjust her makeup." He reported.

"Detective Sato?" Megure asked.

"Yes, Inspector." Sato replied. "Miss Kokuryu retreated back to her office to call her Father's Lawyer and let him know as there was the possibility he'd be fired for drinking on the job."

"Hmm.. I see.." Megure replied.

"Yes, except I'll have to call him for a different reason, now.." Suzuko articulated in between sniffling, while running her finger around her elf ear.

"Chiba?" Megure addressed the slightly chubby detective standing next to the temperamental Ruriko.

"Well, Inspector, Miss Ohara claims that she was in the ladies room, calling a friend who performs in a band with her on some detail, but she can't seem to get through to her at the moment.." Chiba explained distrustfully, giving her a dubious stare.

"HEY, I'm telling the TRUTH! It's not MY fault that she won't pick up her phone!"Rikako growled defensively, while pounding the numbers on her cell phone. Suddenly, an elated expression came to her face as a voice seemed to answer on the other line. "Ah! Suki! I'm so glad you picked up! Look, I'm at the Beika Mall right now, and there's a problem. My boss, the mall Santa was killed, and they need to confirm from you that an hour ago, I called you.. Ah! Hello?.. HELLO?!" She began, only before being cut off.

"Now, now, don't fret, Miss Ohara. You have nothing to fear. If you are truly innocent, the security camera, will prove it." Megure assured her in a facetious, fatherly manner.

A security officer then walked up and briskly saluted. "Inspector, the security tapes in question are ready." He reported.

"Thank you." Megure replied.

Suddenly, there came the electronic jangle of a cellular phone ringing. Jodie blushed with embarrassment as she retrieved her phone from her handbag. "Please excuse me." She apologized humbly before walking away from the scene to the food court, before reading the familiar number with the name "James" in digital print. Jodie internally sighed and answered. "Hello..?"

"JODIE! What's happened?! I've been told that there are police swarmed around the Beika Mall! Are you and Camel alright? How did the meeting with Doyle go?" James asked in a loud, distressed voice.

[Oh, dear..] Jodie thought. Before informing him "T..There was no meeting, James.. It.. It appears that Agent Doyle was.. murdered.."

"WHAT?!" James' voice thundered over the receiver.

Jodie was surprised. She'd never heard her beloved boss and surrogate father so upset before. "Y..Yes, Sir. The security camera caught the person responsible.." She explained. "H..His face was disguised, but.. He.. He was dressed just like.. Them.."

"THAT'S IT!" James roared with frustration "You and Camel are to report to my rented apartment IMMEDIATELY for an emergency meeting!"

"O..Okay, Boss.." Jodie replied apprehensively.

There was no reassuring response, just the cold click of the line being disconnected, and the "CALL ENDED" sign.

Jodie heaved a great sigh and looked over at Camel. "James needs us to head over to his place for an emergency meeting." She stated. Camel nodded in affirmation. Jodie then approached Megure, and declared in a dominant voice "Inspector, we regret to inform you that we're needed on urgent business by.. an associate.." Keeping the crowd in mind. "And seeing as how we are very familiar with the circumstances of this case, you are to declare it resolved as "murder"."

"Now, wait a minute! You can't just tell us..!" Megure interrupted indignantly.

"Please, Inspector! We know what we are doing, and rest assured, we will share this information regarding the investigation in due time. To abruptly begin sharing these long classified case files with you may jeopardize years of hardline leads and result in many more deaths, possibly including some of your men! Do you want to harbor THAT type of responsibility?!" Jodie leveled at him with great dramatic flourish.

"W..What are you getting us INTO, Miss Jodie?!" Takagi asked concernedly, as Megure seemed to sift the matter over in his mind.

"Again, Detective Takagi, you will be told in due time.. Now, if we may..?" Jodie responded before turning back to Megure intensely.

Sato also seemed a little unnerved as Megure, his eyes closed with concentration, replied. "Yes, Miss Jodie, you may go, but keep in mind that when the time IS indeed right, you must tell us, ALL of us, just what in the Hell is going on here!" He concluded with much grievance in his voice.

Jodie gave an affirmative nod, before she and Camel began to make their way to the doors. As she passed by Conan, she gave him a clandestine wink and whispered "Hope you can figure this out without me, Cool Kid!" She whispered.

Conan could only stare uneasily in response. [This isn't good.. I hope this doesn't get the Inspector and his team in trouble.. And now who am I going to help me with solving this other murder?] He thought under intense pressure.

Masumi seemed to continue to give a heavily focused glare to Jodie's back as she and Camel proceeded to leave, as if there were something about her that she couldn't figure out. As if to answer her, Jodie slowed her pace and quickly turned her head around in Masumi's direction!

At this, the girl quickly turned and averted her gaze, as though she were embarrassed. This seemed to cause Conan some confusion. [Huh?! What's she ashamed of? Does she know who Jodie is? Is it too soon for her?] He thought, puzzled.

Jodie seemed puzzled as well, she continued to look behind her, uncertainly [That girl..] She wondered, while still walking forward, not even bothering to watch where she was going, and a half-second later. [SMACK] The laws of Physics gave her a stern reminder of their existence as she smacked headlong into a person's chest, knocking her to the ground!

After coming to her senses, Jodie looked up to see the pedestrian she had careened into. He was a tall, young and rather handsome young man, dressed in a black shirt, grey slacks and a dark green jacket. He had a wavy, styled head of light brown hair on his head and wore a stylish pair of black framed glasses, from which his eyes squinted down at her, as though he still had trouble seeing. He had a mysterious air about him that made Jodie the slightest bit uneasy.

After staring at her for a fraction longer, the stranger lowered his hand down to help Jodie to her feet.

Jodie hesitated at first, but then took hold of his hand cautiously and stood up. There was such a hidden power in his grip. Power that kept her on her toes, ready for anything. "I..I'm very sorry, sir. I.. I should have watched where I was going.." Jodie stammered with some embarrassment and some suspicion.

"Actually, we are both at fault.." The man replied in a silky smooth voice. "You are, because you didn't see me right in front of you, and I, on account my belief that you would notice me. You'd better be more careful next time and keep track of your surroundings" He warned.

[Wh..What is that supposed to mean?] Jodie thought with a sense of aggression. [Is he threatening me?]

The stranger then simply, as if Jodie were no longer there, began walking past her, towards the crowd gathered at the crime scene.

[Who is that man..?] Jodie thought suspiciously. Suddenly, she felt a vice-like grip on her shoulder! Jodie automatically assumed a judo combat position and shouted "BACK OFF, PAL!" In a furious tone, and delivered a high kick that stopped just short of the neck of.. Agent Camel! "OH! Camel!" She gasped with surprise.

"Jodie! What's with you? I go out to the car, thinking you're following me, and the next minute, you're trying to kick my head off!" Camel complained exasperatedly.

"S.. Sorry, Camel. I.. I was just held up for a bit.. I.. I bumped into this man..and.. he.." Jodie struggled to explain, glancing back.

"No time to talk! James needs us at his place, remember? Let's go!" Camel interrupted, taking Jodie by the hand, and rushing out the door with her in tow.

[Stay safe, Cool Kid. I don't know what we're in for..] Jodie thought grimly.

The mysterious man, known to Conan and his friends (except Masumi) as Subaru Okiya, then casually waltzed over to the crime scene, as though it were an average occurrence and approached Ran and Sonoko at the sight of them "Ah, it's Ran, isn't it? Nice to see you again." He greeted nonchalantly.

"AH! S..Subaru! What are you doing here?" Ran exclaimed, surprised, as the other girls took notice as well, but they weren't the only ones.

[W..What? Subaru?] Conan thought, dismayed.

"Huh?! W.. Wait a minute! Who are YOU, Pal?!" Masumi asked defensively, standing protectively in front of Ran.

"Mas.. Uh.. Hiroki! This is another friend of mine, Subaru Okiya. He's a college student who's temporarily living in Shin.. Uh.. Kinichi's old house!" Ran nervously explained to Masumi, stuttering so as not to give either of their secrets away.

"Huh.. Kinichi?" Masumi asked with genuine confusion.

"You know.. My other friend who likes to solve mysteries.." Ran whispered irritably to Masumi attempting to drop a bigger hint.

"Oh.. Oh, yes, of course.." Masumi replied, with a covert wink.

[Yes, real subtle, Ran.. That didn't look suspicious at all..] Conan thought sarcastically.

"Hmm.. I haven't seem to have met you before.. Are you another one of Ran's friends?" Subaru asked curiously.

Sonoko then abruptly butt in between the two and explained mischievously "His name is Hiroki. He's also a teen detective and he's Ran's new boyfriend after she caught Kinichi cheating on her!"

"SONOKO!" Ran roared with an angry blush, giving Sonoko a playful slap on the shoulder. She then turned to Subaru and clarified "Don't listen to her. Hiroki's just another friend of mine is all. But it's true that he is a detective."

Conan just looked up at Sonoko contemptuously. [I swear, that girl..] He growled in his thoughts.

"Oh, so you're a detective as well? It's a pleasure to meet you.." Subaru greeted with a friendly smile.

"Ah.. Y.. Yes.. Thank you." Masumi responded rather off-put.

"You really do seem to attract many detectives, Ran." Subaru observed.

"Y..Yes, I can't imagine why, however.." Ran answered somewhat apprehensively. "I'm not really into mysteries."

"Subaru also has a detective's mind as well!" Sonoko pointed out to Masumi.

"Hmph.. It's not something I go bragging about. When you investigate too much.. You also draw too much attention to yourself.." Subaru reflected somewhat grimly.

"Uh.. Yeah.. Well, I'll have you know that I, Sonoko Suzuki am the QUEEN of DEDUCTIONS, and I wouldn't mind a few more ARTICLES written about me!" Sonoko boasted quite unsubtly.

Everyone.. Police included turned and looked at her with irritation. Sonoko just sank away resentfully.

"Hey, wait a minute, you're that man who's apartment burned down!" Megure exclaimed, recognizing Subaru.

"Why, yes. That's right, Sir. Thankfully I have found a temporary new residence." Subaru replied, before looking around and asking curiously. "What seems to have happened here?"

"There's been a couple of murders. Two simultaneous ones.." Megure informed him, with gravity.

"Oh, is that so?" Subaru answered as though aloof.

[VROOOOM] The earsplitting roar of the white striped, sporty blue Dodge Viper's engine burred as it kicked out from the front of the row of cars waiting for the traffic light to turn green, and it sped into the city freeway, not even being mindful of the icy winter streets.

At the wheel, Chianti, the hard bitten, black leather dress wearing sniper member of the Black Organization, spoke aloud near the cellular phone plugged into her hands free station on the vehicle's dashboard "So, the job's done? He's dead?" She asked with the same type of casual attitude one would to a home improvement project.

"Yeah.. Vermouth just sent me the confirmation.." The subtle, coldblooded whisper of Gin crackled over the electronic reciever. "Made it look like a suicide and everything.. An early Christmas present.."

"Well, gee. That's funny, because I just got a phone call from this dumb girl that I work with on the side, and she's reportin' that her boss, the Mall Santa was just killed at that mall! You don't think they got the wrong guy?" Chianti asked, aggravated.

"If I was shootin', there wouldn't be a problem.." Korn, a gaunt faced, older sniper and Chianti's associate, groused in the passenger's seat.

On a vacant lot, atop a hill, overlooking the mall area, Gin, standing by his Porsche, speaking into a cellphone, his long, silver hair flowing in the snowy wind, replied "Nah, it was that nosy FBI Agent, she's sure of it. Bourbon confirmed it.." as he ran his finger alongside the scar on his cheekbone caused by the graze mark that Shuichi Akai had given him.

"A lot of Cop cars down there.." Vodka, Gin's squat partner pointed out, scanning the area with a pair of binoculars.

"Say.. what do you think Bourbon wants with these FBI guys that were transporting Kir? I mean, we got her back, and she got Akai for us? Not that I mind them dying, you know, but what's with that?" Chianti asked, her swallowtail eye tattoo flickering with her perplexed facial expression.

"Yeah, sounds risky, but I think the whole Scotch thing may have something to do with it.." Gin remarked.

Vodka even had to look at Gin in surprise for this comment.

"Wha.. Scotch? That older guy who got really high up the ladder until The Boss found out that he was a spy and had him iced?" Chianti asked with a jolt.

"Yeah, he was in the Org for a long time and the Boss really considered him a valuable agent, but when he found out he was working for the Secret Police, that really put him into a paranoid mindset. I think at that point, everyone could be a potential spy for him.." Gin reflected somewhat tensely. "Heh.. Funny, considering HOW he died.."

"Hey.. Wasn't Bourbon working for Scotch in the first place? Do you think that..?" Chianti asked with an air of suspicion.

"Nah, no chance. Bourbon's kill record has been too consistent with someone who has no humanity left. As if That Agent Doyle isn't enough of a reminder." Gin reassured her while grinning with a psychotic smile.

"But.. Don't you think the Police might start to see a pattern with these killings and track us down?" Chianti asked in a voice with both concern and annoyance.

"Heh.. Relax, Chianti. If you knew the FBI as well as I, you'd know that their stubborn habit of keeping their investigations to themselves will soon be their downfall, as for any Police interference, well.. Let's just say there are eyes closer than ours watching.." Gin replied, as he looked with his deranged, flaring eyes at the parking lot swarmed with Police Cars..

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	18. Chapter 18

Conan was now starting to feel a little more at ease now that Subaru had shown up. Now he had a potential avatar for his investigation and deduction. But since he couldn't get close to the actual crime scene, he would have to once again get close to the footage Megure would be shown. As he noticed that Megure was heading for the surveillance room, he gave a quick tug on Subaru's trousers. The mysterious young man looked down innocuously.

"Hello, Mr. Subaru." He greeted cheerfully, before indicating for him to bend down and receive a whispered message. Subaru complied. "Listen. I need to go and help the Inspector with something right now. So could you make sure Ran doesn't notice or worry?" He requested faintly into Subaru's ear. He then gave a smile and a brief nod, before turning back to the girls.

Masumi had witnessed this action and clandestinely kept her eyes on Conan sneaking off past the crowd and following Megure to the back room. A smirk crept across her mouth. [Alright, Cool Guy.. Let's see what you've got!] She challenged internally, before turning to focus on Subaru with discernment. [Now, what's your story, Mr. Okiya?]

"A motorcycle! It looks like a burgundy Harley Davidson with a female driver in a helmet and black leather jacket! The masked suspect gets on the back seat and pulls away!" Megure related the play-by-play as he and the Detectives watched the security footage on a monitor, while Conan watched undetected from behind.

[AH! Vermouth! It's got to be!] Conan thought tensely. [Then who's the guy in the masko?]

"Chiba, have the Officers put out an alert for that bike!" Megure ordered.

"Yes, Sir!" Chiba responded and rushed from the room.

[Those Officers had better be careful. They're probably long gone by now, though..] Conan reasoned to himself.

"Technician, I'd now like to see the footage of Mr. Kokuryu being taken to the back room around the time of his death." Megure requested.

The operator nodded and entered the data which then appeared on a separate monitor.

"Okay, he's being taken to the bench and the girls are laying him down, walking away, and.." Megure continued to mutter to himself as the events unfolded. Suddenly, his expression changed!

"WHA?!" Megure exclaimed, as a shocked, bewildered look came upon his face. "The lights just went out! I can't see a thing!"

[HUH?!] Conan thought to himself, then, although it was risky, he maneuvered himself closer to get a better view.

"Is something wrong with that tape?!" Megure shouted aggressively at the technician.

"N..No, you can see some light stream into the room very soon after." He nervously explained.

All turned to look back at the screen, and sure enough, the front doorway burst open to show a hideously wounded Mr. Kokuryu, a profusely bleeding gash on his throat, staggering out the entrance way!

"AH!" The Detectives and Conan exclaimed at once at the ghastly sight.

"My word!" Megure voiced his emotion as well. He then turned to the technician, asking intensely "How far is this room from the scene of his body's discovery?!"

"Not far.. Only about 8 meters. I'm guessing that's all the energy he had left in him.." He answered, surprisingly able to keep his composure.

"Hmm.. How do you think somebody hurt Mr. Kokuryu and got out like that?" Conan's inquisitive voice suddenly chimed in.

The team then turned around to see the familiar child in their midst.

"Conan! What are you doing in here? You have to stay out there with your friends." Sato knelt down and began to gently rebuke him, before Takagi stepped forward.

"Wait, Miwako, let's hear what Conan was trying to say." He encouraged.

It wouldn't appear who was more at a loss for words, Conan, or Sato. However, with a nod, Sato then turned back to Conan and apologized "I'm sorry Conan. Please go ahead."

After a slight hesitation, Conan explained "Uh.. Well.. I just noticed how the light only came on when Mr. Kokuryu opened the door. Where did the person that hurt him go?" He asked.

"Huh..?! Wait.. Run that back!" Megure ordered.

The technician complied. And the sordid scene once again played out for the discerning eyes of the Beika investigators.

"M.. My goodness! He's right!" Megure blurted out.

"Come in. Sit down." It wasn't a shout, but the blunt, down-to-business tone from James Black, the grandfatherly Chief Agent of the FBI operating in Japan, showed that he was not in the best of moods as Agents Andre Camel and Jodie Starling walked into the door of his nondescript apartment room on the outskirts of Tokyo.

The room had the atmosphere of a wake. Appropriate, given the circumstances. A few other assorted Agents whom the two recognized as being key members in the Kir operation, some sitting, some pacing, but most were smoking with grim, apprehensive expressions. However, one of the Agents in particular caught Jodie's eye.

"Miguel?!" She gasped aloud.

Miguel Santiago, the 38 year old with a well chiseled face, and jet black hair that was just beginning to grey at his temples, looked up with a weary expression in an affirming response. Jodie and Andre knew him well. He was the final surviving member of the late Shuichi Akai's "decoy team" of Agents, apparently intending to protect Camel's car transporting the undercover CIA agent, Hidemi Hondo (a.k.a. the Black Org. member Kir), when the actual plan was to have Organization members believe they had rescued her, when they'd just let a spy back in their midst.

"SHH!" Came a very rigid whisper from James' lips. "Keep your voice down!" He continued in a low reserved voice.

"Has this room been tapped?" Jodie asked in a cautious whisper.

James shook his head briskly. "The men have swept the room, and have not found anything, but we MUST be mindful.." He elaborated, indicating to the wall that would lead to his neighbors' residence.

Jodie nodded that she understood.

"Now, I believe that you're all aware why I've called all of you here." James continued in a low, measured voice. "A pattern is now definite amongst the Organization's targeting of our Agents. Now with Doyle gone, it only stands to reason that Santiago is next on their list.." He concluded, staring at Miguel with both worry and compassion.

"Wh..What are we to do, Sir?" Camel asked hesitantly.

"Well, first of all, Agent Santiago shall be safely escorted from the country." James explained calmly, before again adopting a firm, serious expression. "However, as for the rest of us, we CANNOT take ANY chances of this happening again! So from now on, EVERY Agent must travel in teams of two. NEVER leaving their residence unless accompanied by their partner!" He admonished authoritatively.

"B..But James what about if one of us is attacked while our partner is en route to retrieve us?" Jodie asked.

"I was just getting around to that. In order for no further tragedies to occur, each set of partners must.. Well.. Board together as roommates." He explained with a sense of reluctance. Something that seemed to irk Jodie.

"And? Let me guess.. You think I'd have a problem rooming with a man..?" She asked with an irritated expression.

"Well..It's..Just that.." James attempted to elaborate, seemingly flustered.

Jodie marched up to her Chief's face and, with a determined expression and, with the voice of a defiant daughter "Look, Boss. When I first showed up at Quantico for training, you warned me that this sort of thing would happen. Now, don't go soft on me now.. I can take it."

James smiled warmly. "So brave.. You've always been brave.." The image of that poor, orphaned little girl still fresh in his memory.

Jodie just smiled back. Nothing more needed to be said.

Needless to say, the other Agents were at a loss for words. Camel, even more so as she turned to leave and grabbed him by his large, muscular hand and yanked him along like a Mother with a disobedient child.

"Huh?! J..Jodie, what are you..?" He began to ask in surprise.

"Come on, Camel, you've got a lot of packing to do!" Jodie replied quick and businesslike.

James looked off at the two as they exited. [Stay brave, Jodie.. Be ready for ANYthing..] He thought.

"Okay.. The bystanders are starting to run into the break room to see what's going on.. Turning on the light.. The Santa's Helpers and bystanders seeing the blood and running over to the bench.. The Security Guard shooing them out.. Everyone leaving.. Lights going out.. I don't get it!" Megure growled with frustration as he recounted the playback on the monitor.

Conan, however, locked onto a key set of frames that everyone else seemed to be overlooking. [Hmm.. How did that person walk over there? I didn't see them before? AH! Wait a minute! Maybe.. I'd have to see the crime scene, however..] He configured.

"I think we should check up on the forensics boys in the crime scene to see if they've found any more evidence." Megure declared.

[Couldn't have said it better myself, Inspector!] Conan thought with a confident smirk.

As the team once again departed the security room, Ran, a livid expression on her face, came rushing up to Conan.

"CONAN! Where were you?! We thought you'd gotten lost!" She fumed.

"Ah.. I..I'm sorry, Ran, I.. I just wanted to help the Detectives.." Conan attempted to explain in a sheepish, childish manner.

"And he actually helped us quite a bit. Didn't you, Conan?" Sato asked warmly.

"Uh..Y..Yeah.." He admitted reluctantly.

"Really?" Ran asked curiously.

"Yes, he discovered a key bit of curiosity in the footage we reviewed. We're on our way to the crime scene now to investigate." Sato elaborated.

"Well, in that case, I think that Conan AND I should tag along! You know, to help you guys out!" Masumi suggested cheerfully.

"Hiroki, I think Conan has been through enough!" Ran reprimanded.

"Oh, calm down, Ran, he'll be all right." Masumi reassured, clasping Ran close to her. "You're speaking as if he's our son, or something!" Speaking in an extra deep "boy's" voice.

[Let GO of her!] Conan growled internally.

With a tremendous blush, Ran aggressively wriggled out of Masumi's grip, protesting "Cut it out! I'm just worried about his emotional stability!"

"It's okay, Ran.. I'll be brave!" Conan encouraged her with a big smile.

Ran suddenly changed her expression to a warm, relenting smile. "Yes, Yes, I know.."

"Would you like to come, Mr. Okiya?" Conan asked, turning to Subaru.

"Thanks, but I think I'll stay out here. I'd love to hear what you come up with!" He replied in a soft, calm voice.

[Hmm.. Who am I going to use as my "surrogate accuser"?] Conan thought with frustration.

"Look, Conan, if you insist on going to that room, I'll have to come with you and Hiroki!" Ran insisted firmly.

"Oh.. Okay, Ran." Conan replied, while thinking to himself [Bingo!]

The puddle of blood near the bench and the bloody footprints from Mr. Kokuru's futile attempt to get help, along with the bright yellow "crime scene" tape were disconcerting in the otherwise brightly lit, bland looking room. Conan was already in full surveillance mode. His head already systematically scanning the area for the purpose of testing whether his theory as to the killer's movements.

"You boys find anything yet?" Megure asked.

"Yes, Inspector. A spilled box of sporks that may have been caused by the suspect fumbling in the dark, along with a few white whiskers behind this trash bin. However, the source for these are uncertain." The somber faced forensics expert reported.

[But I know!] Conan thought confidently to himself. He then turned to Ran and reflected [Looks like I'll have to have Ran figure this one out as well. Now, to get a little privacy..] Before shouting unexpectedly "AAH! I have to go to the bathroom!"

Everyone naturally turned to him in surprise, and in some cases, irritation.

"Conan. There's another bathroom on the other end of the building, but.." Ran began to explain, but before she could continue, Conan had already bolted in that direction!

"HEY! CONAN, GET BACK HERE!" Ran shouted furiously, giving chase.

Expertly ducking and dodging between frustrated shoppers, Conan managed to seclude himself in an unoccupied entrance way near a vacant shopfront on the lower level. Checking this way and that, and satisfied he was alone, he quickly took out "Shinichi's" cell-phone and dialed Ran's number.

[RING RING] Went the phone in the irate girl's pocket, as she jogged through the busied hall of shoppers and sellers. "Grr! What now?!" She snarled aloud, before taking out her phone and pausing in surprise at the name and number on the screen. After mulling over whether to answer it or not for a few milliseconds, she pressed the answer button and began giving him a royal piece of her mind. "Look, I've got better things to do with my time to talk to an ungrateful creep like you!" She shouted with such a harsh bark that a few of the passers-by were caught off guard.

"Whoa.. Is that any way to talk to a close friend like me?" The young man's voice playfully reprimanded.

"You were the one not acting like a friend, Nerd! By the way, Conan just ran off in this mall and I'm trying to find him before he gets into trouble!" Ran said, laying down her charge.

Conan, his back to the open mall and any potential security cameras, speaking into the phone with his voice changing bow tie with a calm, relaxed tone, replied "Oh, I'm sure he's fine. He's gotten out of tougher scrapes. Matter of fact, he called me about 15 minutes ago and let me know about the case going on at that mall.. I think I've figured it out, and I really need your help to solve it."

Ran paused for a moment, mulling the thought over. "Look, I don't want the killer to get away either, but I can't.." She began to object.

"If you do.. I'll give you a Christmas Day surprise.. I PROMISE!" The seemingly earnest plea from Shinichi's mouth seemed to freeze Ran tightly in her place, as though she were an ice sculpture...

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	19. Chapter 19

Ran Mouri's heart beat at a rather unsteady rhythm as she stood firmly in place. Her breath coming in short, uneven pants as she listened to Shinichi's proposition over her phone.

"Hey! Ran? You still there?! You didn't pass out, did you?" Shinichi asked teasingly.

"Of course I didn't! Don't be stupid!" Ran retorted.

Back at his stationed location of the abandoned storefront, Conan continued speaking into "Shinichi's" phone through his former teenaged self's voice filtered through his bow tie. "Alright! Alright! I was just playing around.." He replied nervously, before having his countenance and voice turn serious again. "But, about this case.. You've got to help me point out the killer! You're the only one I can trust right now!"

Again, Ran was nearly left breathless by this remark. A deep, red blush crimsoned her cheeks. "B..But Shinichi.." She stammered quietly "I.. I'm no Detective! I can't put together clues like you can! I'll get nervous and lose my concentration!"

"Don't worry, Ran! You've done it before. I'll give you all of the main points that you need to hit, and there's no way you can forget. The criminal was actually pretty sloppy, so that'll actually make it easier on you!" Shinichi assured her in his usual way.

Ran cautiously listened to his explanation with careful scrutiny, attempting to make as many quick mental notes as possible, however, after he had briskly finished, she couldn't stop herself from gasping "WHAT?! You mean it was HER?!"

"Yes.. I'm afraid so..Now, are you sure that you can memorize that?" Shinichi replied.

"O..Of course I can! I'll do ANYTHING to make sure she doesn't get away with it!" Ran countered defensively, before demanding "Just remember to keep the promise you made!"

"Of course!" Shinichi replied in a cocksure manner, before quickly and evasively stating "Look, I've got to take care of something right now, but I'll be cheering you on. Please do your best, Ran!" before hanging up.

"Ah! W..Wait!" Ran attempted to plead, only to be met with the electronic "Call Ended" screen. [RRR..That Shinichi!] She fumed, before reflecting emotionally [Still.. He said he WAS cheering me on.. ALRIGHT! I'll do it! SHINICHI! I'll see to it that you keep your Christmas promise to me!]

Conan, meanwhile, having just hung up, sighed a deep breath of relief and thought somberly to himself [I'm counting on you, Ran..] Before turning his attention to a nearby toy store and calculating [Alright, time to form my own alibi!]. He then casually sauntered up to the window and began looking at all of the latest irritating electronic gadgets that kids would be begging their parents to buy. Suddenly, he felt a firm and powerful grip on his shoulder! He looked up with a startled expression to see Masumi standing above him with an annoyed expression. "Uh.. H..Hi, Masumi!" he meekly offered.

"What are you DOING HERE, Conan?! We've been looking all over for you! We were worried that you were kidnapped!" The young lady reprimanded in a more worried than angry voice, not even bothering to correct him for using her real name, nor preventing her feminine tone of voice to leak out.

"I..I'm sorry, Mas..I mean Hiroki, but there was this cool new toy in the window of that shop.. I just HAD to see it!" Conan sheepishly explained.

"You could always look at it another time! I've got to take you back to Ran now and let her know that you're okay!" Masumi said with an exasperated tone. "From now on, you're NOT to run away again!"

"Okay.. Okay.." Conan muttered, the annoyance in his voice quite genuine now. [Geez, this girl may be Akai's sister, but she's really getting on my nerves. Now I won't be able to help Ran if she gets stuck with her deduction.] He fretted inwardly.

However, he didn't seem to take notice of Masumi staring down at him with a mischievous glint in her eye and a smirk, as she thought [Sneaky, Cool Guy! Veeery sneaky!]

"Jeez! Can we go HOME, already?!" Rikako, the moodily dressed, heavily made up temperamental student growled at Megure.

"Patience, Miss Ohara, this is still an active investigation.." Megure attempted to calm her.

Ran, having just met up with Sonoko and Subaru, asked "Neither of you found Conan either?" in a somewhat concerned voice.

"Does it look like we did?" Sonoko sarcastically replied. "Chill, Ran. He's probably in a toy store or something.."

Suddenly, out of the corner of Ran's eye, she could make out the image of Masumi approaching, holding Conan by the hand. "AH! Conan!" She gasped with surprise.

"I found him looking in the window of a toy store." Masumi explained.

Subaru then looked over at Sonoko with a sly, appreciative smile and said "You're right, Sonoko, you really do possess the mind of a detective." in a seemingly genuine voice.

"Well..Well YES, OF COURSE! Would you have expected anything different?!" Sonoko boasted loudly, to the irritation of most.

Ran walked over to Conan with a cross expression. "CONAN! Why did you run off like that, when you said you had to use the bathroom! You had us worried sick! You can get lost so easily in a big place like this!" She scolded.

"I'm sorry, Ran.. But, I.." Conan began, only to have her swiftly cut him off.

"Look, just forget it, okay. I have to take care of something now." Ran stated abruptly, before approaching Megure and requesting quite boldly "Excuse me, Inspector. But if I may, I'd like to be able to view the security camera footage that you and the Detectives have reviewed. I'd also like to ask you and the suspects to accompany me as well."

A few confused murmurs went throughout the crowd.

"What? Now, look, Ran. I know you're Detective Mouri's daughter, and all, but this is a serious investigation, and we can't just have you.." Megure began to object.

"LISTEN, INSPECTOR, My DAD has solved the case! He's busy with another case right now, but when I called to let him know about this, he said the solution was easy and explained it to me!" Ran explained as best she could off the top of her head in a defiant manner.

Now an excited surge of energy seemed to stream through the onlookers. Even the Detectives and suspects seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Look, we don't have time to have some wannabe detective girl screw around with us!" Rikako objected coarsely.

"Wait a minute, Rikako! This girl claims she knows who killed my Father! This is important!" Suzuko defended with an earnest expression. Yurika seemed to nervously nod in agreement.

Megure seemed to be weighing his options, before his portly stomach heaved with a sigh. "Alright, let's get this over with.." He conceded, before leading the way, the rest of the team following him to the back room.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Conan shouted, beginning to give chase, only to be grabbed from behind by Masumi! "Hey! What are you doing?" He yelled in surprise.

"Not so fast, Conan! I'm not letting you run off again!" Masumi reprimanded in a parental.

[This is not good.. I hope Ran is able to pull through without my help..] Conan thought with tremendous dread.

Once again in the security control room, Ran fidgeted somewhat nervously as she felt all eyes on her, scrutinizing her every move. [Oh, Shinichi.. I hope you're right about this..] She internalized anxiously.

"Alright, Ran. WHAT exactly did your Father tell you?" A frustrated Megure asked, attempting to keep his calm.

"The.. The security monitor!" Ran suddenly blurted out after giving it some thought.

The technician and all others involved turned to the screen displaying the faded digital image of the crime scene, they then turned back to her incredulously. "Yes? And?" Megure asked.

"Well.. Let's start out with the suspects alibis. Miss Ohara, you stated that you were in the bathroom at the time of the murder, correct?" Ran questioned, regaining her composure and attempting to sound professional.

"YES! I keep explaining that to you people!" The woman obstreperous replied.

Ran then turned to the technician. "Sir, could you please select that area at this particular time?" She asked.

"Uh, sure." The man responded, and switched over to the feed for the area outside the restroom, backed the file up a considerable length, and sure enough, Rikako's image appeared on the monitor, entering the door nonchalantly.

"AH! It's her!" Detective Takagi exclaimed.

"SEE?! I TOLD YOU!" Rikako shouted coarsely.

"Right.. Well, what next, Ran?" Megure asked, suddenly sounding more reasonable.

"Um.. Well.. Miss Tokui. You said that you were in the woman s locker room. Correct?" Ran inquired, now turning to Yurika.

"Um.. Yes.." The young woman stammered, now shifting her feet somewhat nervously.

"Alright, let's see that area at that time.." Megure instructed the technician.

The man punched in the info and sure enough, the exterior of the backroom door that lead to the locker room came up. He reversed the footage.. And reversed, and reversed, and reversed.. All the while, Yurika began to heavily perspire. Not ONE sign or Yurika, or any of the women dressed in Elf's outfits for that matter

"Alright. That's when the murder occurs." The technician announced wearily.

"Well, Miss Tokui..?" Megure asked suspiciously.

"ALRIGHT! FINE! I Lied!" Yurika admitted with a burst of fury, her teeth grinding.

"And WHY would you do THAT?!" Megure demanded, approaching her in a confrontational way.

"Because! I was in the manager's office on the opposite side of the hall room, making out with my boss! I was desperate for work and he promised to give me a job here if I'd go out with him! THAT'S why I LIED!" Yurika shouted with a blush, her eyes shut with tension.

"Uh.." Megure said, with a dismayed expression. Everyone behind him, Ran included, were just as speechless. He then cleared his throat and asked the technician. "Uh, Okay. May we see that area?"

He complied. Shortly thereafter, sure enough, there came the image of Yurika and a slender, but obviously middle aged man walking towards the door, walking arm-in-arm, looking lovingly at each other. The man teasing her with one of one of her removed elf ears.

"Well.. That.. That certainly answered that question.." Megure stated somewhat uneasily.

Ran then, very determinedly stared at Suzuko, who just smiled back at her warmly. "Now, Suzuko, you've said that you were in your office, talking on the phone to your lawyer." Ran prompted.

"Yes." Suzuko replied somberly, her smile beginning to fade, as if on cue.

Megure simply gave a curt nod to the technician, who punched up the archive feed of the doorway leading to the office, and running it back.. Again, no sign of anyone resembling a woman in an elf costume..

"Well, Miss Kokuryu, you wouldn't happen to be dating someone here as well, would you?" Detective Sato asked suspiciously.

"Of.. Of course, not! What are you getting at?" Suzuko replied defensively.

"I think I might be able to find her." Ran suddenly declared.

"What? Really, Ran?" Megure questioned in disbelief.

"Yes. Just go back to the video of the crime scene discovery." Ran stoically replied.

The technician, albeit skeptical, punched up the footage in question. The familiar footage of the horrified employees and security entering the room, discovering the pools of blood, and then being ushered out.

"AH! Wait!" Megure suddenly exclaimed. "THERE SHE IS! You can clearly see her when the guards are escorting the helpers from the room!"

"See? What did I tell..?" Suzuko began to object.

"But when did she come in?" Ran suddenly posed the question.

"Huh?!" Came the confused reaction of all involved.

"Run the tape back to when everyone first comes in." Ran instructed.

The Technician obeyed. Sure enough, there came Yurika, the manager, Rikako, and the guards. All involved watched the open doorway, but there was no sign of Suzuko!

"Wait a minute! There.. There must be something wrong with that angle! I'm clearly there!" Suzuko began to shout with fervor, her slightly round, cherubic face becoming moist with sweat, she continued to fidget with her left elf ear.

"Okay.. Sir, please go to the angle outside the backroom at the time of the discovery.." Ran instructed.

And there it was again, as Suzuko's panting breath began to increase. Yurika..Manager..Rikako..Guards..No Suzuko..

"You were CLEARLY there because you NEVER LEFT that room!" Ran began dramatically, before pointing an accusing finger at the rotund woman. "Suzuko, YOU killed your FATHER!" She concluded with an emotional, rousing tone.

All others turned to look at Suzuko with a combination of shock and apprehension.

"You.. You'd BETTER be joking! How DARE.." Suzuko began to shout with indignation.

"You can't fool those cameras, Suzuko!" Ran suddenly interjected, before explaining in a very analytical manner "After putting your Father on the bench, and exiting with your friends, turning the lights out to apparently give the man his rest, you instead lagged behind, re-entered the room, then, having a clear path and idea of where your father lay, you put on some gloves, took out your weapon, most likely a razor of some kind, quickly grabbed hold of him, then slashed his throat and attempted to find a hiding place where you thought you could safely escape later. But then you realized that not only was your father not dying as quickly as you'd thought, but you needed to clean off your weapon so you could hide it better, you made for the sink, inadvertently knocking the box of sporks to the ground, while groping about for the napkins. After wiping it off and hiding it somewhere, you went behind a large garbage bin in the corner of the room and hid, which is where the white whiskers from the trim around your elf leggings came from! All that remained is for you to wait until the crowd enters the room, and attempt to hide, since you thought the lights being out would hide your movements out of camera range!" She finished with attention to detail.

After a brief moment of uncomfortable silence, Suzuko, a challenging expression on her face. "And? Where's your PROOF besides that faulty camera footage?" She asserted.

Nervous, but taking a gulp and deep breath, Ran replied with a question of her own. "Why haven't you taken your elf ears off?"

"WHA.. Well, excuse me, but I haven't exactly had the time to.." Suzuko began defensively.

"Then why don't you take them off now?" Ran asked, now becoming more aggresive.

"Look! I don't have to do any.." Suzuko began to dissent.

"Would you be more willing if I asked you, Ma'am?!" Megure pressured her with an impatient roar.

With her body beginning to tremble, Suzuko reached up and took hold of her false elf ears, removing them. Then, with a loud metallic clatter.. A single razor blade dropped to the ground.. As her friends looked on with dismay, Suzuko bowed her head low and began to sob quietly to herself. "You don't know.. You don't know what kind of a MONSTER he was!" She growled in a hushed voice.

"You.. You killed him because of the way he treated us?" Yurika asked tearfully. The normally smart-mouthed Rikako was just aghast.

"For the way he treated ME!" Suzuko shot back, before continuing. "It wasn't like this when I was a little girl and Mother was still alive, he was so kind back then, but then after her death, and as I grew older, the drinking, the gambling and the womanizing would start! He would do nothing but criticize my overweight appearance! HIS OWN DAUGHTER! His behavior would drive ANY boyfriend I managed to obtain away, and even then, he would force me to wait on him hand and foot! Like I was a SLAVE! Then, he loses his job, and goes from one dead end replacement to another! And WHO has to deal with the debts and bar tabs that pile up? ME! Then, by the time the Mall job rolled around, and once AGAIN, I was pulled into it against my will! By this time, it was ENOUGH! This morning, when I'd planned to have done what I had.. His treatment of my co-workers was only confirmation of what I HAD TO..!"

But just as she had once again built herself into a dramatic fervor, Ran suddenly interjected "YOU LIAR!"

This, again, threw everyone back. Even Suzuko herself seemed to be shaken by this.

"You DIDN'T hate your Father! RIGHT AFTER you had murdered him, you struck Rikako for insulting him! You know that deep down, under all that grief he gave you, he still loved you, and you loved him, and if you hadn't acted on that angry impulse and MURDERED him, you wouldn't have become a WORSE monster than HE!" Ran brashly accused the woman, trying her hardest to fight back tears of emotion in her voice.

Suzuko tried to muster up some kind of rebuttle, some manner of angry comeback, but all she could do is slink to her knees, bow her head, and begin sobbing once again..

Outside, there was much discussion amongst the crowd gathered outside what was occurring within. Not much amongst Conan and the gang. They waited outside, tense and nervous. Wondering if everything would pan out. Suddenly, the door opened, and Megure exited, followed by the Detectives leading a disheveled looking Suzuko over by the arm to some waiting Police Officers. Yurika, coddling a now melancholy Rikako, and then afterward, a very sorrowful looking Ran, the tears already flowing from her eyes, approached them.

"RAN! W..What's the matter? Didn't you solve the case?!" Sonoko asked, genuinely concerned.

"Come on.. Let's just go.." Ran replied, again, trying to stop the tears, not wanting to say much else.

[Ran.. I'm Sorry..] Conan apologized inwardly. His mind's eye brought back the other times he'd needed to use her to explain his deductions, and the night he'd solved the murder at Tropical Land on the night he was shrunk. The way she'd cried..

Subaru couldn't seem to look at Ran. He actually seemed to avert his gaze as they all exited the mall, back into the cold, early evening. "Well, I'm sorry now, but I've got to be going." He told the rest evasively. "I hope you feel better soon, Ran. Also, let me know if your Kinichi friend ever stops by. I'd sure like to meet him someday.."

[HUH?!] Conan jumped in surprise at the suggestion.

Ran, her mood starting to lighten a bit, tried her best to force a smile and a friendly nod.

Subaru then turned to Masumi with a friendly smile and said "Well, Hiroki, it was also a pleasure meeting you as well. I'm sorry it couldn't be under more pleasant circumstances." Before diplomatically offering his hand to shake.

"Why thanks, Mr. Okiya. I'm sorry about how I'd greeted you before. Glad you forgive me!" She replied, accepting his hand and vigorously shaking it.

Subaru simply smiled and replied "Of course. And for a young lady, you actually pull off a boy act very well, if I may say so." Very nonchalantly as though he were complimenting her fashion sense.

EVERYONE, especially Masumi was speechless. She was practically gasping for breath.

"It's your hands. The bone structure is different for men and women." Okiya pointed out, as though he were a school teacher.

"Yes.. I've been made aware of that.." Masumi growled under her breath, shooting a sideways glance, before turning back to him with a sincere expression. "Please, sir! Don't tell anybody! My disguise has a purpose.." She pleaded.

Subaru just kindly put his hand up and replied "Don't worry. I'm an expert at keeping secrets.." In a reassuring, yet mysterious manner, before turning and walking off.

As he passed by the area where the vacant lot stood above the mall on the highway's opposite side, something seemed to catch his eye. He looked up, and gave a sly smile.

Just across, Vodka continued to monitor the situation with his binoculars. "Hmm.. Looks like they're letting people leave. Guess the case is over." He stated, before turning to Gin. "How do you think.. The Boss will react to those two being caught on camera, though?"

Gin merely puffed on his cigarette somewhat tensely and replied. "I've not heard anything yet. I'm guessing The Boss trusts that they knew how to handle it.. Vermouth always seems to like skating the rules, and then using a clause like wearing disguises to use as a loophole.. But, her luck CAN'T last forever.." He slyly grinned.

"What a weird guy.. WHY does he have to be so cute, though?" Sonoko reflected.

"Uh.. Guys. Hate to tell you this, but I have to be splitting as well!" Masumi abruptly stated. She looked at Ran with a tender expression, imparting "Don't let today get you down, Ran.." With a playful wink, before darting off.

Ran, now beginning to wipe away the remainder of her tears, thought aloud "That girl sure is peculiar."

[Yes, and she's also a pain in the neck..] Conan groaned to himself.

Now a good ways away on a side street, Masumi, looking this way and that, and satisfied that she was alone, took her phone from her pocket, and dialed a contact. "Hi, Bro. It's me!" She cheerfully announced, before lowering the brim of her fedora over her eyes and whispering somewhat clandestinely "You may not believe this.. But I think I've found him!"

Ran and Conan, now by themselves, now trudged the sidewalk that led to the Detective Agency, when they were suddenly startled by Ran's mother, Eri Kisaki, exiting in a huffy mood!

"AH! MOM!" Ran called out.

Eri stopped and turned to acknowledge her.

"Mom! What are you doing here?" Ran asked, racing up to her. Conan understandably took his time.

"Acting like a RESPONSIBLE parent, and giving you a decent gift for Christmas, that's what! If your FATHER hadn't PASSED OUT, as he's prone to, I'd have given him a piece of my MIND!" She replied with a grimace, before marching back to her car and pausing before calling out "Remember! DON'T get mixed up with a Detective!" Before slamming the door and driving off, despite Ran pleading with her to wait.

"OOOH! What has he done THIS time?!" Ran fumed as she stormed inside.

[This, I HAVE to see!] Conan though to himself.

Almost immediately, Ran was met by a defensive Toru who tried to stop Ran from going any further "Ran, I'm sorry. I asked her to stop, but she wouldn't listen!" He winced apologetically.

"Mr. Amuro, please let me see!" Ran growled, pushing him out of the way, only to be greeted by the most unusual sight. There sat Kogoro, passed out on his desk, a can of beer or two beside him, a pair of toy reindeer antlers and a red Rudolph nose on him. This seemed to cheer her up quite a bit, with Toru grinning as well, and Conan seeming to enjoy this most of all, taking out his phone and aiming his camera at the hilarious scene. [Smile, "Sleeping Kogoro"] He thought with aplomb.

Christmas Eve came, and then settled for the evening. Ran sat listlessly on her windowsill, counting the snowflakes outside as she tried to calm herself. "You just know he'll forget, won't you? No, you've just GOT to keep torturing yourself with these false hopes.." She said in a hushed voice. Then, suddenly, her train of thought was interrupted by the jangle of her cell phone. She walked over to where it was located, picked it up, and noticed that the screen read [1 NEW MESSAGE]. Ran's breath caught in her throat, as she selected it, and her eyes widened upon reading it.

[YOUR PRESENT IS OUTSIDE. - SHINICHI]

In an INSTANT, Ran was off like a shot! Moving downstairs so fast that she became like a blur. Upon reaching the door, she eagerly flung it open and looked outside, only to be met with the white, snow covered ground. "WHAT?" She voiced with an unamused voice, stepping outside into the freezing cold, she looked around for some sign of anything that hadn't previously been there. NOTHING. "GRR! What kind of sick joke IS this?!" Ran growled uncomfortably.

"Merry Christmas, Ran!" Came a cheerful, familiar voice.

Ran spun around in surprise, and sure enough, bundled up in a smart dark jacket and a blue baseball cap, stood Shinichi Kudo! "AH! SHIN.." She began to gasp.

"SHH!" Shinichi shushed. "Not so loud!"

"Oops! Sorry!" Ran apologized, grabbing her mouth, then quickly switching back to an irate expression "Wait! Where have you BEEN for all of these weeks?! Just how LONG does it take for you to solve a case?!" She demanded with a grimace.

"Hey, take it easy, Ran! You don't even seem happy to see me! Besides, you know how mediocre my skills are!" Shinichi apologized defensively.

"What?" Ran asked, confused.

Meanwhile, standing in the upstairs hallway of the Agency, an irritated Conan spoke into his Detective Boys badge. "Stick to the script!"

Back outside, hearing the message in his carefully disguised earpiece, "Shinichi" a.k.a. fellow teen detective, Heiji Hattori, grimaced and thought to himself behind his mask [Fine, Kudo, but remember, this was YOUR idea! I could be warm at home right now!] Quickly getting back into character, Heiji apologized "Uh.. S..Sorry, Ran. I just haven't had much sleep lately.. I.."

"Oh! Wait RIGHT there! I just remembered something!" Ran suddenly exclaimed, her attitude becoming more gleeful.

Then, to Heiji's annoyance, Ran raced back into the building.

Conan hurried to a space outside of Ran's view, and watched as she quickly charged into her room, grabbed her sweater and cap and jogged back downstairs. [Hmph.. She knitted those for ME..] He reflected sourly.

Back outside, a deep blush on her face, Ran, her voice now a tiny, nervous squeak, handed the clothing over to "Shinichi". "Um.. H..Here.. I hope these fit.."

"Th..Thanks.." Heiji stammered. If his blush could show through his skin-like mask, it would.

"RAN! What the HELL are you DOING out there! You're letting the cold air in!" Kogoro shouted from inside.

"ONE MINUTE, DAD! I'M TALKING TO.. HUH?!" Ran shouted back, only to look back and see that Shinichi was gone!

"HEY! SHINICHI! GET BACK HERE! SHIN.." Ran began to erupt with anger, when she suddenly noticed a small, round red present box at her feet. "Oh? What's this?" She asked aloud, before picking it up, opening it, and, even in the dim moonlight, could make out the sparkling of a beautiful, jeweled necklace! "OH! Ohhhh, Shinichi.." Ran giggled to herself, her face as red as a beet.

Over in the doorway, Conan stood, smiling warmly. [Merry Christmas, Ran..] He thought.

The next morning, Heiji stood in the living room of his home, wearing the sweater and cap Ran had knit, and being confronted by his classmate, Kazuha Toyama.

"WHERE WERE YOU LAST NIGHT?! AND WHERE DID YOU GET THAT OUTFIT?! DID A GIRL GIVE THOSE TO YOU?!"She shouted at the top of her lungs, poking his chest with her finger. A jealous snarl on her face.

"No! No! I swear! It.. It's not what you think!" Heiji answered defensively, while thinking vengefully to himself, [Oh, you will PAY for this, Kudo!]

TO BE CONTINUED... 


	20. Chapter 20

"Come ON, Conan! Please stop struggling!" Ran Mouri, outfitted in a deep blue dress, her new necklace dangling around her shoulders instructed in a frustrated tone as she buttoned Conan's shirt.

[You ARE aware that I've buttoned my own shirts before?] He snapped back in his thoughts with an exhausted grimace.

"Ran, will you pleeeease hurry? That limo's not waiting forever!" Sonoko Suzuki, dressed in an extravagant and expensive pink satin dress, whined as she stood in the Detective Agency's main room, alongside Masumi, who was sleekly attired in a black men's dress coat and trousers. Her usually wild hair combed in a masculine, yet fashionable style.

"Ah, give her a break, Sonoko. Ran's got to get used to helping the man of her own dreams get dressed in the morning." Masumi casually replied, before approaching Ran and asking "That reminds me, Ran. Could you help me with my belt?" In a sly manner, indicating to her trouser buckle.

"W..Wha?" Ran spun around with confusion. A thick blush across her nose, her eyes, wide with surprise. Conan's face adopted a similar reaction.

"Haha! GOTCHA!" Masumi chuckled mischievously in response, an impish grin on her face.

"That WASN'T funny, Masu.." Ran began to object, before Masumi slapped a hand over her mouth.

"SHH! Your Dad might hear us!" She warned with a pained expression.

"Oh, sorry!" Ran apologized in earnest.

[YOU were the one who started this!] Conan thought, gazing angrily at Masumi.

"Ran! Have you seen that carnation for my buttonhole?!" Kogoro yelled from the next room.

"No, Dad! Now, hurry up! The limousine is waiting!" Ran shouted back.

"But I simply can't leave yet! I'm not fully dressed without it!" Kogoro whined.

"Dad! Sonoko's sister is having her marriage announcement in two hours, and you're keeping her waiting! What do you need that carnation for so badly?!" Ran asked with exasperation.

Kogoro walked in, buttoning his suit jacket with a crabby expression. "Well, it's just that a lot of lonely people go to Hotels.. Including a lot of lonely women.. And seeing as how this is New Year's Eve.."

But this was as far as he got before Ran took hold of her father's necktie, and "helped" to straighten it, briefly cutting off his oxygen supply. "Behave yourself!" She reprimanded.

Instinctively, Conan pulled at his own collar with a nervous expression. [Good thing she didn't straighten MY tie..] He remarked internally.

In the smooth fancy limousine ride to the Hotel, Sonoko turned to Ran with a disappointed expression "Hey, Ran, where was that young stud who you said was an apprentice for your Dad? I didn't see him."

"Toru? Oh, yeah. He decided to spend the holiday with some friends of his." Ran explained.

"Oh, too bad. I wanted to take him out as my date for today.." Sonoko sighed with regret.

"Sonoko! What would Makoto think if he'd heard that?!" Ran asked in a disapproving time.

"Hey, he shouldn't have signed on for another long tournament. Besides, you know how I go crazy for boys with darker skin." Sonoko explained in a huff.

"Yeah, he seems really mysterious too. He won't stay at the Office long enough while I'm there to give me any tips." Masumi complained, before turning to Kogoro and asking "Detective Mouri, would you also be willing to train ME as an apprentice?"

Kogoro gazed wearily over at the girl passing as a boy and replied "You'll have to get in line, kid."

[Hasn't this girl caused us ENOUGH trouble already?] Conan thought in an irked fashion.

The atmosphere outside the Grande Suzuki Hotel was a festive, sugary sweet dream that would give your eyes cavities from staring at it too long. Bright primary color streamers hanged from the awning. Intermixed with paper mache butterflies on strings. It stood out quite well against the gray snowy weather.

"Hmph.. Nice design.. Looks like a kindergarten festival or something.." Kogoro muttered out of the side of his mouth, only to be elbowed in the stomach by Ran, and have Sonoko shoot him a dirty look.

"So Sonoko, where did this LOVELY design come from? Your sister?" Ran asked in an overly cheerful manner to excuse her father's rudeness.

"Oh, yes. My sis has always had a fondness for colorful stuff and beautiful new forms of life. That kind of thing." Sonoko replied in her usual aloof way.

[This is ONE TIME I agree with the old man..] Conan mulled over in his mind.

The gaily decorated lobby with it's blood red carpet and gold painted walls was truly a testament to one of the facets of the Suzuki fortune.

As the group made their way through the spacious entrance, Masumi remarked with a masculine swagger "Wow! Some place you've got here!"

"My Dad's actually, and BELIEVE ME , with the taxes he pays on this place, I don't want it.." Sonoko replied in a jaded tone.

"You should see the taxes I pay on MY place.." Kogoro grumbled.

"Oh, that reminds me, Hiroki.. Where are you settled while you're living here?" Ran asked curiously.

"Oh.. Just.. Just some modest little apartment downtown.." Masumi answered somewhat evasively.

Ran seemed a bit confused by her vague response. However, Conan was becoming suspicious..

As they made their way to the spacious room that had been set aside as Sonoko's sister Ayako's dressing room, a sense of excitement, of eager energy amongst them. Except Kogoro that was. It wasn't every day when someone close to them was going to be married soon.

Rather brashly, Sonoko cut to the front and rapped on the door "Hey, Sis! We're here!" She called out.

No answer. Not a sound.

"Ayako! Come on! We haven't got all day!" Sonoko called out again, becoming more impatient.

"Didn't she say to meet us here?" Ran asked, with concern seeping into her voice.

"Yeah, there should at least be SOMEONE in there!" Sonoko answered with agitation.

Conan started to adopt a skeptical expression.

"Sonoko, go ahead and open the door." Kogoro instructed in an authoritative tone.

With an unsteady hand, Sonoko cautiously placed her hand on the knob and opened the door with a sense of reluctance.

Then, with a sudden thud of a fallen tree, the body of Yuzo Tomizawa, Ayako's handsome young fiance, collapsed out of the doorway. A butcher knife protruding from his chest, and his clean white dress shirt stained with blood, a frozen death grimace of fright upon his face.

Ran and Sonoko screamed with fright while Kogoro Conan and Masumi looked on in sober terror.

"Alright everyone, stay calm! We need to make sure this area is secure and then call the.." Kogoro began to announce fervently, only to be cut off by a slightly nervous, feminine voice yelling "Cut!"

All turned in further surprise to see Ayako Suzuki, attired in an extravagant white dress adorned with a colorful butterfly pattern adorning the waist, walking into the view of the doorway holding a small digital movie camera in her hands, a shy smile upon her face.

"AYAKO!" Sonoko gasped in shock.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Kogoro demanded fiercely.

"I'm so sorry, Detective Mouri. It was HIS idea.." She explained apologetically, indicating with her hand to Yuzo's body on the ground.

"WHA?!" All looked down in shock as the murdered Yuzo suddenly sat up straight and blinked, adopting a remorseful smile.

"Yu-Yuzo?!" Sonoko asked with a combination of relief and anger. "You came up with this?!"

"Heh! Sorry, everybody.. I just thought this would make a funny prank as we haven't seen each other in a while.." Yuzo replied in a sheepish fashion.

"You've got a weird sense of humor.." Masumi remarked disapprovingly.

"Mr. Tomizawa, do you understand how serious murder is?" Kogoro scolded.

[Not to mention that I've saved you from being framed for murder..] Conan remarked grimly in his thoughts.

"I have to say, Detective Mouri. You looked quite lovely on camera, when you you were taking control.." Ayako said admirably.

"Oh, really? I DO have that effect on the camera, you know?" Kogoro arrogantly stated, attempting to pose casually.

Ran gave her father a disapproving stare, before looking at Ayako and explaining sympathetically "I'm sorry, Ayako. But you can understand how cautious we are, what with all the crimes we come across."

Ayako adopted a very remorseful expression. "I know. We are truly sorry, Ran. I was very reluctant to go along with this."

Yuzo, getting to his feet, humbly acquiesced "It's true. I shouldn't have coerced her, but Ayako wanted to do a special film project for her ceremony and I suggested this when I heard you guys were coming. I'm really sorry about this."

"Needless to say, you should be a very.. interesting son-in-law.." Came a deep, sultry and very sarcastic tone. They all turned to see Sonoko and Ayako's attractive mother, Tomoko, accompanied by her rotund husband, Shiro, who emerged from the room as well.

"You were aware of this, Mother?" Sonoko asked curiously.

"Of course.. It's not like I had any say in this. Ayako was actually rather passionate about this spectacle.." Tomoko imparted rather coldly.

"Mother! That is NOT true at all.." Ayako protested.

"I do have to admit it was a pretty clever idea." Shiro remarked somewhat giddily.

"Honestly, dear.." Tomoko groaned to herself.

"Well, I just hope you've learned from this lesson, young man.." Kogoro chided Yuzo in a somewhat lukewarm fashion.

"Oh, YES, Sir, Detective Mouri! You won't have to worry any longer about me!" Yuzo replied over enthusiastically, possibly aware to one of his previous encounters with the Detective.

"Darling, don't you think that you should change your shirt about now? I mean, the service is going to start in about an hour." Ayako asked her fiance with concern.

"OH! Y.. Yeah, that's right! Excuse me, everyone!" Yuzo realized, before racing off back into the room, towards his dressing room.

After a short pause, Tomoko turned to Ayako and asked rather casually. "Still willing to go through with this?" with a teasing smile.

"Of COURSE, Mother! Don't be silly!" Ayako countered defensively.

Suddenly, the group was approached by a very well dressed, somewhat uptight looking woman in her mid thirties. Her hair in a bun atop her head, a pair of modern, stylish glasses upon her face. "Alright, I assume these are guests of yours. Now, I.. WAIT! Where's the groom?!" She began speaking with an almost mechanical, blase tone, while looking down at a clipboard, before leaping to life with her realization that Yuzo was absent.

"Oh, excuse me. He's gone to change his shirt, Ma'am. He'll be back shortly." Ayako explained.

"I should HOPE SO! I for one, wouldn't like to be late to my own wedding announcement!" The snooty woman responded somewhat aggressively.

"Oh, by the way, Detective Mouri, this is Umi Kubo, our planner. One of the most popular ones in Tokyo today." Ayako stated, cheerfully introducing her.

[I can't imagine why..] Conan groused in his thoughts.

"It is a pleasure to be in the presence of someone so esteemed." Miss Kubo said in a voice that was less than convincing.

"Why, thanks.." Kogoro responded in a similar fashion.

"If you'll excuse me.." Miss Kubo began calmly and reserved, before raising a walkie talkie to her mouth, and shouting "MAJIMA! Get Over Here!" Which rattled all involved like a small tremor.

Several Minutes later, 23 year old Yutaro Majima, an awkward young man with short brown hair, and a smattering of freckles across his rather blunt nose, dressed in an usher's uniform, rushed over to the area. "I'm VERY sorry, Mrs. Kubo! I was on my cigarette break. I know I should have taken one earlier, but.." He began to apologize, only to be cut off by a swift motion of Miss Kubo's hand.

"Just forget it!" She chided snappishly. "I want you to start doing your job by seating these early guests."

"Ye..Yes, Ma'am." Yutaro replied sheepishly, rubbing his nose with in a nervous tick.

"Oh, and Ayako, that reminds me, I wanted to show you this cute.." Sonoko began to address her sister, digging into her fancy purse, before adopting a shocked expression.

"What's wrong, dear?" Shiro asked in a concerned manner as Masumi looked on with interest.

"There was this little cute..And expensive trinket I bought for Ayako, and I can't find it! It must have fallen out when I took something out near the entrance! Somebody better not have picked it up!" Sonoko explained in distress.

"Don't worry, I'll help you find it! I've got pretty good eyes!" Masumi stepped in, announcing enthusiastically.

"I'll come too! I'll do anything to help make your sister's ceremony happier!" Ran concurred with great spirits, before looking cheerfully down at Conan "Well, Conan. Want to help?"

"Uh, Sure! It always helps for more to look!" Conan replied enthusiastically, while thinking [Thanks for that guilt trip..]

"W..Wait, the ceremony will be..." Miss Kubo began to object, before Ran reassured her "Don't worry! We won't be long!"

"I hope you can find it in time!" Ayako said with optimism.

Outside, once again near the Hotel's awning, Masumi turned to Sonoko and asked "Okay, Sonoko, where exactly out here did you remember taking the item out of your purse?"

"Um.. I think.. It was.." Sonoko began to recollect, before adopting a frustrated expression "Right where that red car is parked.." She explained, pointing to the vehicles' location.

"Well.. We could always try looking underneath.." Ran began to suggest, when, suddenly, with a huge smashing explosion of metal and glass, a man's body, falling from somewhere above, landed upon the car's roof, flattening it instantly!

Ran and Sonoko screamed with terror as Conan and Masumi looked on with petrified expressions! [WHOA! I'm sure THIS isn't a prank!] Conan thought with panic!

[TO BE CONTINUED..] 


End file.
